Author: Jason Anspach; J. N. Chaney; Mark Boyett
Date: 2021-11-30 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy; Science Fiction
Description: Party at Dawnshire. Graydon's Armor is bestowing its power on players throughout King's League, and not all of them think like Dirk. When a vicious player-killer begins to wreak havoc in his own corner of King's League, Dirk decides that the only way he can put a stop to it is by gathering up his friends and creating a balanced party capable of standing up against some of the game's toughest challenges. As Dirk helps Stoneburner and others level up to survive the coming encounter, he discovers that finding Graydon's Sight wasn't just good luck...it was the start of a game-changing development
Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ruin of Kings

Book 3 in the King’s League Series

Jason Anspach

J.N. Chaney

Copyrighted Material

Ruin of Kings Copyright © 2021 by JN Chaney and Jason Anspach

Book design and layout copyright © 2021 by JN Chaney

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living, dead, or undead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from JN Chaney.

www.jnchaney.com

https://jasonanspach.com/

1st Edition

Connect with Jason Anspach

Visit his website
https://jasonanspach.com/

Follow him on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Jason-Anspach/e/B012DQ3BCM/

Check out the Galaxy’s Edge Fan Club on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/GalaxysEdgeFanClub/

Check out the Galaxy’s Edge series
https://galaxysedge.us/

Connect with J.N. Chaney

Visit his website
https://jnchaney.com/

Follow him on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/J-N-Chaney/e/B00W2ZAK7E

Check out the Renegade Readers Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/jnchaneyreaders/

Check out the Renegade Star Series
https://jnchaney.com/renegade-star-universe/

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Epilogue

Connect with Jason Anspach

Connect with J.N. Chaney

About The Creators

1

PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS COMMUNICATION AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.

I stare blankly at the email message for a few seconds. My initial reaction was disbelief. Now it’s somewhere closer to hopeful. I read it again, just to make sure I’m not missing anything. Some fine print that will laugh at me like Dark Helmet. “Hahaha. Fooled you.”

SUBJECT: OFFER OF SPONSORSHIP

DEAR MR. NELSON,

CONGRATULATIONS ON SURPASSING ONE MILLION SUBSCRIBERS TO YOUR CHANNEL! DUE TO THIS ACHIEVEMENT, IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO EXTEND AN OFFER OF SPONSORSHIP. THIS INCLUDES (BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO) FREE MERCHANDISE, ADVERTISEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND MONETARY COMPENSATION.

IF INTERESTED IN A PARTNERSHIP, PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS COMMUNICATION AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU,

KING’S BOOST™ ENERGY DRINKS, SUBSIDIARY OF KING’S LEAGUE™, PR

Okay so I have to admit that I’m completely dumbfounded to hear I have that many followers on my channel. I tend to focus more on playing the game and let my friend Brian direct the streaming side of things. It’s mutually beneficial. He deals with all the finer details, I show up for the recording, we both get paid based on the number of views. Brian’s told me things like, “Dude, you’re blowing up.” But what does that mean? I feel like I would have remembered him telling me we were pushing toward a million subscribers. Then again, he did tell me one video had over a million views—the battle against Salvatore.

I dunno. I have a problem.

The point is, sponsorship is a whole different ball game. Back when King’s League first took off, everybody that played had dreams of getting an offer from some deep pocketed corporate sugar daddy. But we’d have settled for anything, really. For e-gamers, a sponsorship for any kind of gear, merchandise, or food and drink was the same as landing a deal with the swoosh company.

I know Salvatore had a slew of sponsors before our little dust up. After I released the damning footage of my fight with Pallydinator, he lost some, but not all. His channel still gets plenty of hits because he still streams. The guy still hit level ninety-nine and has years of experience to share with his fans. Even though I beat him and he got reset, that’s not going away completely. People will believe anything. Will follow anyone.

Just thinking about the reality of that creep still influencing people pisses me off so I read the email again. Bring me calm through promises of free money, oh magic email. There’s one thing about the offer that concerns me. How do I know it’s for real? The internet is full of horror stories where scammers take advantage of unsuspecting players.

I consider sending it off to Brian just to get a second set of eyes on it. He’s generally savvy about things like this and I know he’d be able to at least verify any concerns I have or push me on toward making contact if he felt it looked good. The problem is, he’s focusing on finals for this semester. Been a real good boy and is on track to put the academic ineligibility problems squarely behind him. As much as I’m always encouraging him to keep his grades up, I shouldn’t distract him.

Besides, something like this won’t be that hard to verify.

The first thing I do is check the sender. It’s a basic return email; prinfo@kingsboost.com. It’s easy enough for me to go to the website and look for contact information. Sure enough, that email is listed for collaborations. So far, so good.

Next, I look for examples from other streamers. My message is pretty much an exact duplicate. I find a short article that offers a simple explanation on what to look for in a scam email. Standard stuff, from what I can see. Things I already knew to check for. They got my name right instead of some generic tag like player or streamer. No mess-ups in the text, no requests for money, nothing to signal me I’m dealing with a fake communication.

This is when I let myself get excited. Okay, more excited.

The money I’ve been pulling in from the livestreams and income I get from Dawnshire transactions have been great. My rent is on time and I don’t worry about whether my next trip to Casa del Domingo will be denied.

Still, I always worry that maybe something will happen to make me lose it all. Billingsly almost succeeded once. The dude probably has enough money to pay for a bounty hunter to come after me over that if he wants to. Salvatore has made it clear he holds a grudge. Not to mention the other players who know about Graydon’s Armor. I’m not entirely sure of Dead Hunter’s motivation. And Spyce? Well, I have no idea what’s going on in her head at any given minute. That means I’m always in danger of being killed. If that happens, no more income.

Just another scrub farming for scraps on King’s League.

A sponsorship will allow me to put more money away. I’ll also have a windfall if anything happens to me in game. It’s an opportunity too good to pass up even if I don’t particularly like streaming. I’ve got to look into it. It’s funny, you always think that making big money will change your life. And it does, sort of. But then taxes happen and paying off debts happen and maybe you buy a few nice things and… poof. You’re waiting for the next paycheck, same as before.

I can make my life and the life of my friends better if I level up in the financial world. So, I type up a response and send it into the digital ether before I can second-guess myself out of it.

“Okay, Dirk,” I tell myself. “You’ve just taken your first steps into a larger world.” I pick up my King’s League headset and load the game. It’s time for some adventuring.

* * *

The dire wolf charges.

I’d been playing all night. Except for a forced five-hour sleep. I got a reply email from the beverage people almost as soon as the business day began, so we’ll see where that goes. Now, though, I’m up and back at it, deep in Mellidew Forest. Shards of ice manifest in the air around me. My character—or rather, the one I’m playing—chants a wordless incantation. The floating shards propel themselves toward the beast, shredding its body and causing the final bit of damage needed to kill it.

The first dire wolf falls at my feet, sliding in the dirt as its life comes to an end. At the same time, two others are circling me.

They are level 22, the same as my character.

I’m playing as Nogg, Brian’s wizard, and I just need a few more kills before I level up.

Mana is low, so I use a potion and gain enough for three spells, then begin casting Lightning Storm.

A small storm cloud forms above the dire wolves, followed by a loud KAKKOW. It fills my ears as electricity sparks in the air, creating a second bolt.

One mob takes 35 points of damage, while the other receives 38.

The next dire wolf falls to the ground and dies, its body crumbling into a pile of ash. I think I hear the final wolf whimper in sympathy.

Those whimpers turn to rage and the wolf is on me. The monster slashes with its massive claws, causing knockback and 22 points of damage. I respond with Vines, which grow and plant the beast in place, giving me about ten seconds to ready my next spell.

I form a Fireball in my hand. It’s been a bit of a backwards learning curve to use the spells at a lower level but I find that leveling Nogg up is making me a better player. I hold it in my hand for a beat and watch the oncoming attacker for the perfect opportunity. When it’s a few meters away, I finally loose it on the monster for the maximum 50 points of damage.

DIRE WOLF B HAS BEEN CRISPIFIED, the ticker tells me.

The animal dissolves into a pile of ash. I could have used a lesser spell to finish that one off, but why not go out with a bang? The particle effects from the spell are like fireworks, lingering far longer in the air than most. It feels fitting, given the moment.

As the little, well-done flakes of roasted Dire Wolf gently fall at my feet, I receive the Level Up notification, sound effect and all.

Level 23 ACHIEVED!!

The message appears in the corner of my display, a much better notification than the glitchy one they used to have that obstructed my view. Level twenty-three. Perfect. I’ll allocate my ability points later when I’m not in the middle of this clearing amid the forest.

New spell acquired! You learned Solar Flare!

New spell acquired! You learned Shield!

Unlike combat classes where you mostly grow your skills the more you use them, such as how effective you are with a sword, spear, dagger, or bow, wizards and casters get spells at different levels as they progress. You can also find them at the market and certain vendors, even from monsters and quests. The downside is that not everything you can learn comes from leveling, and the most powerful spells have to be sought out from high level quests.

Eventually, Nogg will have to defeat one of the harder monsters in the game in order to get his best available spell at his current level, but that’s a problem for later. Much of that, of course, will be determined by the campaign path he chooses. I’ve started multiple story campaigns before but didn’t finish any of them yet. I haven’t put much thought into where to take Nogg, but now that we’re cruising into the low twenties, I’ll have to do some research. For now, I focus on my new spells.

I’ve seen both spells before, but never played a character that could use them.

Solar Flare:

Effect: Deals 44 heat damage to the targeted enemy. Scales with level.

Effect: Inflicts blindness for 3 seconds.

Casting Time: 2 seconds

Cooldown: 90 seconds

Range: 20 meters

Mana: 40

Not bad. The cooldown time—the length I have to wait to use it again—is longer than the typical damage spell, but I have to assume that’s all because of balancing. The debuff, along with the damage, should prove useful in a scrape.

Shield:

Effect: Manifests an invisible shield of energy around the target player. Protects against a single hit.

Can only be used on one player at a time. Shield remains until the player is hit.

Casting Time: .5 seconds

Cooldown: 2 minutes

Range: Sight

Mana: 10

That’s pretty straightforward and I’ve been in groups where the caster used it on either himself or whoever was drawing aggro. I also recall Salvatore using something like this when I fought him, the way my arrow bounced harmlessly off thin air. The cooldown timer says two minutes, meaning that I’m likely only going to be able to use it once per fight—so I’ll have to decide when the most opportune time is to make that happen. Right at the beginning or as a last ditch life-saver that would allow me to take some potions or run. Most fights last under a minute unless it’s a brawl. Either way, it’s a good spell to have. Especially for the late game boss fights found in raids where an enemy can kill your group’s warrior in a single shot. It’s one of the few spells that a wizard gets relatively early in leveling that remains useful all the way up to level 99.

I decide I’ll play around with both of these spells later, once I’m healed up and restocked on supplies. As a caster, specifically a wizard, I need to keep up my potions, both healing and mana, and right now I only have a few of each remaining. I could stay and fight some more, but if I ended up getting attacked on the way home, I’d be screwed.

Before I go, there are three carcasses to loot. Well, a carcass and a couple of ash piles. The first dire wolf has a few teeth and some gold in its stomach, but nothing else. The second, which is a lump of cinders waiting for someone to come along with a broom and dustpan, somehow has a Strength Potion. And the last has—

What’s this, now? I spot an item I haven’t seen today, despite killing over a hundred of these wolves over the past few hours.

Eye of Wolf

Amulet, Magical

Legendary Item

Effect: Reveals hidden doors, traps, and other areas.

Uses: 5/5

There’s something I don’t see every day. And not just because it's Legendary and you’re unlikely to see it at all. An item that can reveal secret doors is always helpful, which is why they go quickly at the River Market. In fact, it’s probably going for a premium right now. There’s a dungeon called Beggar’s Chasm that recently provided some valuable loot to some adventurers last week. The place contains tons of traps and hidden compartments. It’s higher level and filled with prime loot if you know where to look and what mobs drop which gear.

That’s the main reason an item like this goes for a decent price on the market on an average day. It’s pretty much mandatory for optimizing a run through a dungeon. Add the frenzy from some big loot finds and I’ll bet this thing sells within seconds of being put up for bid.

That said, I can always take some guildmates in there and farm loot for ourselves. See if we get lucky on a run of our own. I’ll have to check my cash flow because this might be worth holding onto. I know that I have plenty, but I’ve been reading some financial strategy books and one of the biggest mistakes people who start earning crazy money do is assuming it will last forever. That’s not always true.

The Mellidew Forest is quite a trek from Dawnshire, but my teleportation stone makes getting back home easy. The forest was based on the Redwood National State Parks in California. Some of the trees are so large that the road goes right through them, and a few have been carved into homes for brownie NPCs to give out quests or sell items. Nothing extraordinary, but some of their wares are needed for special crafting recipes and quests.

I decide to pop into one of the larger trees to sell some of the trash loot I’ve accumulated during my run. The brownie village is usually off-limits, unless you do the access quest, “A Brownie’s Path”. It mostly involves saving a little brownie in the woods who gets cornered by two low level goblins. An easy turn-in that provides access to a decent vendor in the middle of this forest, which is great for someone looking to grind levels on some dire wolves like yours truly.

And boy, do I have some loot from that grinding. I’ve managed to gather over 60 dire wolf teeth, 16 dire wolf paws, 27 dire wolf pelts, 32 monster parts, 9 human skulls (implying that the dire wolves had their fill of other adventurers), 41 pieces of dire wolf meat, a handful of strength potions, some random coins, and, of course, the Eye of Wolf.

“Hail, Bodsbeck,” I say, signaling the brownie at the entrance to the tree. He’s tiny, ugly, and covered in brown hair, with a sagging, contorted face. It’s like looking at a miniature version of an elderly man in his 90s.

“Greetings, Nogg,” he responds, sounding chipper. “Have you wares to trade or tales to tell? You may enter our fair village of Grumbleweed, but cause ye not any problems and please be on your best behavior, for only the brownie folk are allowed our mischief.”

The small door behind him opens, but it’s too little for me to walk through, so I have to crouch. I waddle forward and enter the tree, scanning the room quickly for the merchant counter.

He’s in the back, nestled between three other NPCs: Tawny Boy, Cauld Lad, and Hairy Meg. I’ve been here a few times as both Nogg and Dirk, so I’m familiar with the layout and characters. That’s why I instantly notice the addition of Hairy Meg, who was not here any of the times I visited before. My last visit was a few days ago, so she must be a new NPC put in place to keep things fresh.

Meg is a female brownie. Which at first doesn’t cause me much thought. But as I think about it, I realize that there aren’t any females in the whole tree. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one. My knowledge of King’s League lore isn’t enough to know if they’re just rare or if she’s like the Smurfette of these creatures, just patched in sometime within the last few days. I look at Tawny Boy and Cauld Lad to see if they’re eyeing her, all hungry like. But, they don’t seem to be paying her any special attention.

She wears a dress of leaves and a small necklace made of bone. Her body is entirely covered in fur, like the rest of the brownies, though she is unique in having a modest amount of makeup on. I decide to postpone my appointment with the merchant and instead opt to talk to her.

“Hail, Hairy Meg,” I say.

“Oh, what good timing!” she responds. “I’ve been searching all morning for a capable brownie to help me, but none of these filthy fools have the courage or the whiskers for the job. Would you lend an ear and give me your time?”

Harsh. That explains why the male brownies aren’t trying to woo her, I suppose.

“Of course,” I tell her.

“Thank the trees! Adventurer, you must listen, please. I was on my way from the wives’ tree, deep in the forest bed, when one of my little brownies was stolen away by a monstrous fiend. Would you do me a service and find him?”

Normally, I probably wouldn’t waste my time on a quest like this but considering it’s brand new to the game makes me think it might be interesting. This is the kind of stuff Brian says people love to see in videos, so I’m willing to spend a little extra time in the area. Who knows what kind of loot I can get from this? Maybe a new cosmetic item or something else I can have some cheap fun with. You never know what you’ll get when a new quest appears, and for all I know, it could be temporary. This may be my only shot.

“I’ll do it,” I finally tell Hairy Meg, who’s been waiting patiently for me to answer.

She performs a cheering animation and clasps my fingers between her tiny hands. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You must go to the Ornery Crook. There you will find tracks to follow. The monster was a goblin… I think. I didn’t get a good look at it. Goblins are a terrible nuisance, let me tell you. Go and get my little brownie back and I promise you will be rewarded.”

A quest box pops up called, “A Brownie in Need”. It seems fairly straightforward, so I accept the job and the NPC releases my hand. She continues to fret away in the corner, waiting for my eventual return. I go straight to the vendor and unload all of my recent loot from the dire wolves, netting me a decent amount of gold. It’ll pay for repairs and a few extra health potions, which I promptly purchase before heading out toward the Ornery Crook, part of a stream located across the little vale inside the forest.

2

I step out into the field and take a moment to look at the tall strands of emerald grass as they dance in the wind. There are three black bears across the vale, a mother and her two cubs, none of which seem bothered by the fact that a sorcerer has entered their hunting grounds. The same goes for a pair of foxes as they run below the tree line. I’ve always been interested in nature, but real-life pales in comparison to the visual fidelity of the game. You’d be hard pressed to find anything as beautiful as the Prairie Valley over in the Hagz region or the bustling Bay of Evergreen that rests off the coast of Shah. I haven’t had the chance to visit either in game, but I’ve seen the videos and they look incredible. Even the Yellow Sea in Nardia, not far from Dawnshire, boasts some incredible vistas with its golden sand dunes that stretch for miles in every direction.

The devs certainly knew how to paint a pretty picture, that’s for sure. This is levels of artistic achievement that rival Renaissance painters when it comes to skill and vision.

It doesn’t take me long to locate the area that Hairy Meg was talking about. The Ornery Crook is a little piece of stream that bends around dips into the ground, giving it the appearance of an upside-down candy cane. Or a crook, I guess.

Along the stream, a small goblin, only as tall as my waist if it were to stand on tiptoes, is crouched and drinking water from his hand. I watch as he takes a long sip, going for another, half the water dripping through his fingers as he slurps the rest into his ugly mouth. The curious thing about the little beastie is how it looks nothing like the others of its kind I’ve seen around this forest or even in the nearest dungeons. Standard gobbies wear bandanas around their necks, same as he has, but they’re not this shade of red. Typically, they’re green or brown, sometimes even black. On top of that, he’s got a silver belt on his waist instead of the usual pig skin.

So obviously this goblin has a lot of bitcoin.

Oh, and he actually has a name: Gibby. That’s always a dead giveaway that there’s something special about them.

As I near Gibby, he perks his head up and takes notice of me, altering his stance and tilting his chin as he stops drinking from his hand. Instead of attacking me, like most goblins are suicidally inclined to do, he turns and breaks into a mad sprint, kicking up little bits of digital dust into the air as he rushes far into the tree line.

That’s my queue to follow, which I promptly do, chasing after him in an effort to keep up.

My strides are far greater than a little goblin’s, so matching his speed is easy. In fact I have to slow down a few times to avoid overtaking him. I figure there’s a fifty-fifty chance that I’m supposed to follow him all the way to a new location vs. tackling him. If he suddenly starts to get hard to follow—like darting through trees and disappearing from view for a few seconds, I’ll know my time is running out to nab him. I follow into the forest, cutting in at an angle and passing by another set of foxes who run away as I disturb their territory. I keep up my pursuit until we reach a small opening in the trees.

But it’s not another glade or valley. Just three out of place, massive oaks, much different from the other, smaller evergreen trees around them.

Gibby comes to a stop in front of the closest of the three, turning to me and cowering in fear.

“Please don’t hurt Gibby! Please!” the little goblin begs.

A prompt appears. I can either ask him where the brownie is or start a fight. An interesting thing about playing Kings League is how the devs alternate between open ended speech options and the old school formula that makes you scroll through menus or make decisions based on in-game prompts, such as this one. Usually those prompts are placed when too many beta testers aren’t able to figure out the proper way to access the quest. Anyway, it all feels second nature and doesn't take away from the immersion factor of the game. At least not for me. It also can be helpful to know what your options are when dealing with NPC's during a quest. I mean, as much as Brian and I love messing with them by trying to ask them goofy questions and get them to do silly things, Non-Player Characters are only programmed to do so much. I decide to ask him where the brownie is.

He shifts. “I didn’t do nothin’ to that brownie! I didn’t! It was Boogie! Boogie and Sacko! They said they needed him. Cook him first, they said. I didn’t want it, though. Goblins get sick if they eat brownies. Makes them go crazy!”

“Crazy how?”

“Crazy crazy!” he exclaims, jumping on his feet and clapping his hands before returning to his cowering position. “Sometimes dummies like them think eating one gives them powers, makes them into orcs! Not true, not true. That’s what Gibby said to Boogie. He should listen to Gibby, but he doesn’t. Sacko is the smart one, but he wouldn’t listen, either. Followed Boogie! Gibby just want to help!” He lowers his head and starts to cry. “Now the others will go bad and sick. Gibby know it, Gibby know it!”

“Where did they go?”

“Go? You want to go after? But why? Did someone ask you to come and get the brownie back? They did, they did! Gibby can see it in your eyes. You’re an adventurer! Then you must hurry into the tree. There is a secret path to the caves beneath the tree. There isn’t much time to waste! If they eat the brownie, the goblins will go crazy, and they will hurt more brownies. Yes, more and more until they are all gone for good.”

He flips around and runs to the nearest tree, then pulls on a small branch. A chunk of the wood slides down, revealing an entrance and some stairs. “Quick! Quick! Gibby won’t tell you what to do, to save or kill Boogie and Sacko. Gibby trust you to make the right decision, adventurer. Yes, yes, Gibby trust!”

My eyes fall on the stairs leading down into the darkness. This is potentially exactly what I was trying to avoid for Nogg, but it’s also an opportunity that might not present itself again. And, if Nogg dies, Brian’s not exactly going to notice. Let’s see where this rabbit hole goes.

* * *

The stairs take me into a cave of sorts. The sconces on the walls glow eerily, embers crackling from the flames as I make my way deeper into the underground. Once upon a time, before I discovered areas like the Dragon’s hatching grounds, I would have thought it hard to believe the devs would have created a whole new area just for a quest that no one was told about, especially way out here in one of the old zones. Barely anyone visits the brownie tree these days. Most players at Nogg’s level are more inclined to group up and dungeon crawl for better loot and experience, maybe go solo in the Galasian Fields near the capitol if they prefer to quest or need a break, but that also means those locations are busy on most days. I get enough of crowds while playing as Dirk. Right now, I just want some time alone, which is why the Mellidew Forest is so appealing. Sure, it’s not the best experience grind in the game, and you’re less likely to find the high reward quests, but there’s something to be said for having a lot of space to yourself.

And now I’ve found this strange quest that wasn’t here yesterday, and I can’t help but investigate it to its final end.

Whether or not I find anything down here is beside the point. The fact that this is new and different is what drives me. With every step that I take, deeper into the dark, I feel more exhilarated and excited.

The light from the sconces illuminates the walls, which appear to be a mix of natural and hand carved stone. The deeper I go, the more vines and plants sprout from the ceiling and the walls. The cave separates into multiple directions, providing me with a choice to make. The first break I encounter has two directions to take. I opt to go left, simply due to the fact that it has less light. My time in the game has taught me to always take the road less traveled. Less traveled and extremely dark.

Playing this character means I get a slew of different spells, including illumination. In seconds, there's a glowing orb of light hovering in front of me. The spell works and now I have a little friend that will stay right here at all times. Sort of like using a torch in Minecraft. The spell wears off in 15 minutes. Normally, I wouldn’t use a light while traveling through such a dark area, mostly because you don’t want the enemy to know you’re here, but this particular spell comes with a “hidden light” effect, it means the monsters here won’t detect it unless they have the ability to “see” magic, something that’s uncommon in most mobs. That’s a win-win if ever I saw one.

I haven’t used this spell in a place as dark as this before, so I'm surprised at the fidelity of the light from the spell. Instantly, the entire corridor lights up, and I can see nearly to the end of it. Or at least where the hallway turns into a hard right.

Following the turn, I pause, taking in the view of a massive cavern, lit by some in-game luminescence. There is a waterfall, at least a hundred feet tall or more, with crashing water at the base that creates a thin cloud of mist throughout the nearby area.

If I could smell anything in-game, I imagine it would feel like a bathhouse.

There’s a small path to the leftmost side of the falls, so I proceed toward it, but not before activating Shield. A white bubble appears around me before disappearing, indicating that the spell is active. If I’m ambushed, at least I’ll have a free hit before I need to react.

The small path is steep and narrow but appears to be worn and used. Whoever is here has made this place their home for quite some time. The two goblins I'm looking for are probably up there right now with the little brownie. The question is whether the brownie is alive. The second question is whether they’ve eaten it and gone crazy. The third question is… well, I don’t know what the third question is. The quests in this game can often get a little darker than one might expect, so I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to find when I climb this little ridge.

A few months ago, I upgraded my headset to the latest baseline VR model. It meant crisper sounds, better visual fidelity, and a more overall immersive experience, even if it wasn’t in the high range tier.

Another few feet up I reach a cliff, which goes behind the waterfall (because you always get to go behind the waterfall) into another, smaller cave. The water cascades beside me, the sound filling my ears so perfectly that it almost feels like I'm really there. Just drop a mentos into a Pepsi bottle and, boom, full ambience. And that was fine with me. I didn’t have a reason to splurge on a five or ten thousand dollar kit. Not when I could save the money for rent and food. God only knows when I’ll need it or how long my revenue stream might last.

Still, the headset does a fine job. Although right now it feels like I'm walking through a horror movie in real time. Not quite sure if I like it.

Please don’t scream like a little girl when a crazy goblin jumps into view.

Not far from where the water is coming down, I spot a small fire, hardly capable of giving off much heat let alone light, with a few random sparks rising and settling in the air around it. There's a creature next to the dying flame. It's the size of a small child, the same as the goblin I met outside, maybe a little bigger. Definitely not the brownie.

But where is the other one? And where is the brownie?

It’s then that the invisible shield around me flickers and glows white, breaking immediately. Good news is that I didn’t scream. Bad news is that I’m vulnerable now, with no idea where the attack came from.

I swing around, expecting to see the other goblin, but what I find is far different.

There’s a figure standing over me—a misshapen kind of ghoul that sort of resembles the monster from Beowulf, if you’re familiar. Its face is twisted and ugly, sluggish and droopy, like the skin is melting off the bone. The eyes are larger than my hands, disproportionate to the rest of its head, like Mickey Mouse. It stares at me and opens its mouth, revealing a set of jagged brown teeth, gingivitis spots along the gums. Clearly the monster doesn’t floss.

“WHO DARES ENTER MY CAVE!” bellows the creature, whose name appears as Morgo.

I suddenly wish I’d used Dirk for this quest instead of Nogg. I have no idea if I can take this thing on with my current level, but I doubt it. Guess I’m about to truly test Nogg’s limits and what he can do. Sorry Brian.

“THE BROWNIE YOU SEEK IS NOTHING BUT A PILE OF BONES AND MEAT. JOIN ME AND FETCH ANOTHER AND I MAY ALLOW YOU TO LIVE.”

“Fetch another?”

“BRING ME MORE OF THE TREE BROWNIES, ONE AT A TIME. FOR EACH THAT YOU SEND, I WILL REWARD YOU WITH GOLD.”

The sleeping goblin nearby moves and gets to its feet. It walks to the side of the creature, its head sinking to the floor. “Listen to the Master and do as he says. He will kill you dead if you don’t.”

I see the name is Sacko. “Where’s Boogie?”

Sacko shakes his head. “Boogie is…”

“DEAD. JUST LIKE YOU WILL BE IF YOU DON’T AGREE TO BRING ME MY MEAT,” Morgo bellows, his monstrous voice echoing above the waterfall. “WHAT SAY YOU, HUMAN-THING? OR SHALL I GRIND YOUR BONES INTO BREAD LIKE ALL THE REST?”

“How do you grind bones into bread?” I ask.

“CHOOSE NOW!” demands the monster.

A prompt appears between us. I can select one of two options.

- Help Morgo

- Deny Morgo

I have a choice to make and stall for time isn’t on the table.

Now, I’ve always been the sort to avoid genocide, even in fictional forests. But gold is shiny. At the same time, genocide is bad. Yep. Gonna have to kill this thing instead. A quick glance at my spells shows that the recharge timer on Shield is nearly reset, so I take a moment to queue up a weaker healing spell as well as some offensive ones.

“WHAT SAY YOU?!” shouts the monster, this time shaking the very ground beneath us with his heavy voice.

I wonder how long I can just sit here without making a choice? Guess it doesn’t matter. My shield spell is ready to cast. I’d rather risk losing Nogg than teleport away and miss the action. Brian won’t mind. He doesn’t know how far I’ve leveled Nogg and seeing him as level one when he finally gets back in the game won’t be any different for him. If I fail, I’ll have some valuable intel on what to do when I come back as Dirk.

I take a defiant stance and sweep my hand across the prompt, selecting the Deny option. “Never. I’ll never turn to the dark side. You’ve failed, your Morgoness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”

“NO?!” He drops his jaw and begins to laugh. “FOOLISH THING. FOOLISH FOOLISH MAN THING. KILL YOU DEAD AND MAKE YOU BREAD!”

He reaches out to take me, but I move back and away as his fingers close into a fist and his face distorts into an expression I don’t recognize. I guess rage-hate-murder?

I don’t move back quick enough and the attack brings down my Shield. Looked like the punch would have hurt, a lot.

Without hesitating, I cast Lightning Storm. A cloud forms above us, right below the cave ceiling, and sparks begin to show. The monster takes another step toward me but stiffens when a bolt of electricity hits his head.

Morgo takes 32 damage, the ticker tells me. What I don’t know, since Nogg doesn’t have Graydon’s Sight, is how much of a dent that made in the beast.

Another bolt strikes him before the storm disappears. This time, it hits him for 35 damage.

I take a second to use a Damage Over Time spell known as Bees of the Valley. Most monsters at my level can be slain with a few well-placed fireballs or lightning strikes, but it looks like Morgo might last a while and I need to make every moment count. Typically, you’d only use a DOT if the mob has a lot of hit points, like a boss in a dungeon. So… now. They’re especially useful in raids when you’re cycling through your spells and you want to stack a few DOTs onto the enemy in order to slowly tick away at its health. Poison, fire damage, bleeding. They can all add up.

I have no idea how much HP Morgo has, but it’s clearly more than a dire wolf.

A small group of bees manifest around my hand as I aim it toward the monster in front of me. They quickly move to surround him, and I can see the individual insects begin to sting his sides.

“OW OW OW!” says Morgo.

“Bees!” I shout. “Bees everywhere! They’re huge and they’re sting crazy! Your firearms are useless against them!”

Morgo takes 7 damage.

Morgo takes 6 damage.

Holy Schnikes it worked.

The ticker continues to add up, each second providing more damage at varying rates. As that happens, Morgo attacks, swinging his sluggish arm and inflicting a solid 22 points of damage. I’ve got a max HP right now of 181. Taking twelve percent per blow is a problem. I’m a mage and certainly not built for this kind of fight. If we were outside, I’d kite this guy, pausing to cast a spell occasionally, even rooting him in place so he can’t move, and generally having him follow me around like a kite.

But we’re not outside, and I have nowhere to go. No one is kiting anybody in here.

I chug a Normal Healing potion while I still can and it immediately refills my meter. Now I’ve gotta act before he lands another hit, so I queue up my latest spell, Solar Flare. It’s time to stress test this bad boy out.

With a quick raise of my hand, the entire cave glows with a bright light and a flash appears. Morgo backs up and covers his face, seemingly afraid. When the light fades, he lowers his hand and blinks, then swipes the air around him. Ya blind, bitch!

Morgo has taken 28 damage, the ticker says. Meaning the 44 heat damage the spell should have caused was reduced by something.

The ticker continues its scroll. Morgo is suffering from Blindness.

The giant roars. “UGH!” he groans. “STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!”

His fist comes down on me, but my character just dodges. And I mean just. My Agility and Dexterity are both only at 10, the stereotypical clumsy spell caster. Still blind, Morgo tries to hit me again, but continues to miss. This spell isn’t half bad.

Unfortunately, the blindness only lasts for three seconds and the cooldown timer is 90 seconds long, which means I can’t use this for a while. I’ll have to unload everything I have and finish before Morgo regains his composure.

With a base of 764, my mana is strong, even after my initial salvo. I cast Fireball, followed by Ice Shards. The combination is like a one-two punch to Morgo, and he takes a collective 56 damage. Again, there’s some damage reduction for both fire and ice. Lightning spells, at least, seemed to hit at full strength. I’ll go with more of that next. The bees spell ends, so I queue it up again, and prepare to dodge as a new swarm attacks the monster.

The blindness is over. And that, my friends, is gonna suck.

He swings and hits me because my ability to dodge is non-existent. It’s a tough decision, leveling up. I wanted to max out Nogg’s mana as quickly as possible and give him access to the high INT spells as early as I can. I also dumped points into Stamina to get myself close to two hundred HP. But, by neglecting agility and dexterity, I could barely get out of the way of a steam roller chugging my direction in slow motion.

The punch connects much more solidly than the first time and does 80 points of damage. That brings my health well below the halfway mark. I can’t gamble with another hit like that because I’d be dropped down to negative health. I chug another Normal Healing potion, saving the Grand Healing potion for when I’m really down low. This one is well-crafted and restores 50 HP. I have just enough time to get off a spell. So I cast Lightning Storm again. Two bolts zip into Morgo, doing 30 and 40 damage respectively, the high and low ends of the spectrum for that spell.

I’m drilled with another Beowulf Hyper Upper Cut. This time for 100 points of damage and I’m shook. Time to use the Master Healing Potion, which will replenish 300 HP. More than enough to get me full again.

I send a pair of Fireballs as I wait for the Lightning Storm’s 10 second cooldown to HURRY THE HELL UP!

It’s good for 40 damage total. It also burns all the bees. So… that sucks. This is getting too close for comfort.

I grit my teeth in preparation for the next Mike Tyson punch coming my way. It lands for another hundred damage, reducing me to 81 HP and back into the one hit, one kill realm.

Okay. I used my Master Healing potion but I still have a Regular potion. It isn’t crafted all that great and only adds 30 HP. I could spend the coin on the really good stuff from the shops, but old habits die hard. Most of the time, I just use what I pick up on my adventures. Anyway, that gets me back over 100 health. So unless Morgo does something other than box, I can survive another hit.

I check my mana and see that I’m going to need to replenish that soon, too. I’ve got enough in the tank to send another Lightning Storm and if this fight goes much longer, I may be able to cast Shield again. Forget what I said earlier, kids. I’m an idiot.

Dark storm clouds localize above the monster’s head. A crack of thunder precedes lightning bolt one. Bolt two strikes a fraction of a second later. 72 damage total. A great cast!

I quaff a Grand Restoration potion and get 300 mana back. That puts me at 560 of my 764 max. Keep swinging until you can’t fight no more. Never quit! Never surrender! Never—

“OWWwwww! OWWwww! Y-YOU HURT ME! WHY DID YOU HURT ME?! WHYYYyyy?!”

Morgo stumbles, his eyes rolling back in his head as he reaches for support that isn’t there. Apparently this thing is a gigantic punk. Or a baby version of something I really don’t want to tangle with.

Sacko, the little goblin, runs behind me and reaches a corner. There he cowers, looking absolutely terrified.

I look back at Morgo, who falls to his knees, drool and blood falling from his open mouth. “A-ALL I WANTED WERE BROWNIES… A-ALL FOR ME TO… TO…”

Morgo has been slain, the ticker tells me.

And he collapses to the ground with a mighty, thunderous thud.

I shake my head. “Drama Queen.”

3

Morgo’s corpse is filled with brownie skulls and gold. A bit disgusting when you think about it. But then, I admit to once eating a quarter pan of brownies myself. Half pan. Okay, yeah. The whole thing. I had some eating problems before I started to make use of the gym.

Better still than the gold, however, is the rest of the loot. I pick up two artifacts from his body. The first is a sack of blue prismatic shards. The second is far more interesting. A silver necklace with some interesting stats.

Morgo’s Delectable Choker

Legendary Artifact. Unique.

Magical.

Cannot be traded.

+12% Mana Regen

+250 Mana

+8 Intelligence

+5 Strength

+14% Casting Speed

Effect: Summon Morgo’s Goblin Horde

That’s one hell of an item for a spellcaster of my level. Between the casting speed buff and the extra mana regen, I’ll be more than well off for several levels—or, I should say, Nogg will be. I’d already been working on maxing out my INT in order to get my mana supply as large as possible. It won’t be long before I found out whether this item can make me go above the cap of 100. Which, if I dump all my ability points into INT will only take me three more level ups to discover.

Here’s where Nogg is sitting with the necklace on:

Name: Nogg

Level: 23

Class: Wizard

Specialty: N/A

Health: 181

Mana: 1094*

Str: 15*

Sta: 30

Agi: 12

Dex: 11

Int: 93*

Cha: 22

*Enhanced by magical item or spell

Experience to next level: 40,410/2,300,000

That puts me in a strong position to increase my DPS with spells. Dirk is leveled up to 99 with max INT and his mana is only 402 since he’s a Ranger and doesn’t get the bonuses afforded by the Wizard class. I’m kind of excited for Brian to return. We could really do some damage as a team.

Stats aside, what really grabs my attention is the usable effect: Summon Morgo’s Goblin Horde. Like the Eye of Wolf, this item can also act like a spell. There’s also no information here about recharge time or what the effect actually does, but based on the name alone, I can guess it’s a usable combat spell. I’ll have to do some experimentation to see exactly how it works. It doesn’t show a number of uses, so it’s probably more than one-and-done. I resist the urge to try it now just in case something goes wonky. Like, sure, I summon Morgo’s Horde, but then they realize I’m not Morgo and kick my ass. What then?

Better to wait until I have a controlled environment. Treat this like a science experiment.

Many items in King’s League have spells attached to them, but they’re not all that common. In most cases, you’ll find a normal spell on the item, like the Illumination one I have or even Fireball. This Summon Morgo’s Goblin Horde is a spell I’ve never heard of and I’m pretty sure it’s unique to this boss.

I turn my attention to the nearby goblin. He’s no longer cowering in the same pose as before, but he hasn’t moved from his place in the corner. “Get over here!” I shout, because who doesn’t shout like Scorpion when they have the opportunity?

The little monster doesn’t budge so I decide to approach him, but as I do, he raises his arms in fear. “P-please, don’t hurt Sacko!” he begs. “Sacko didn’t mean to do it. Sacko didn’t! Morgo made us, and he killed Boogie! Spare Sacko, please, spare Sacko! Sacko help you if you do! Sacko swear it!”

When the prompt appears for me to let him live, I accept. I have a feeling what comes next will be more worthwhile than killing the thing off.

“Oh, thank Belko!” the little goblin declares, referring to the goblin god. “Come! Come! There is something to show you!”

Sacko hops toward the backside of the cavern to a wall that looks remarkably normal, but I know what’s coming. He raises his hands and slams down on the rockface, triggering the stone to rise, revealing a hidden compartment.

“Come, come,” he tells me, waving to get me to follow.

So, I do.

The corridor is as dark as the one that led here, but another Illumination spell cast on my hat gives me the King’s League equivalent of a magical head lamp to help guide the way. At the end of the tunnel there is an even smaller room. From within, I can hear groans and whispers; sobs of crying voices.

Inside, half a dozen brownies are chained against the wall, each of their faces distraught and terrified. They are haggard and starved—all but one, sitting on the floor. He looks normal compared to the rest, as though he’s only been here for a short time.

Another prompt offers me the choice between freeing or leaving the captured brownies, I immediately choose to free them.

“Right away,” Sacko says, and proceeds to unlatch each of the brownie prisoners.

One by one, they thank me before proceeding out of the cave, toward the entrance, disappearing into the darkness.

Except for the one with more meat on its bones, who I’m sure is the brownie I’ve come all this way to find.

“Th-Thank you,” says the tiny creature. “My name is Bowie Begg. My mother must have sent you! I’ll go and wait for you at the tree and tell her you saved me. Thank you, adventurer. Thank you so much.”

With the revelation of the his name, I see “Bowie Begg” appear over the NPC’s head. What a trek to find this one little brownie. Besides the gratitude and what Morgo dropped, the side quest doesn’t yield anything else by way of reward. Even if its ending is lackluster, the experience alone has made it worth the time.

I watch Bowie Begg hobble off to join the others, and I quickly follow.

* * *

When I’m back outside in Mellidew Forest, there’s no sign of Bowie or the other brownies. No doubt, he faded from the game as soon as he left the dungeon and I’ll find him at the tree again, standing with his mother.

Sacko decided to follow me through the cave and is now standing beside me. He looks wrought with grief but perks up when he sees the other goblin, Gibby, who has been waiting for my return this whole time.

“Gibby!” Sacko exclaims, jumping up and down. “Sacko sorry for everything! Sacko so sorry!”

Gibby turns to me with a tentative expression. “N-Now that you’ve freed the brownies, Gibby want to join Gibby’s friends.”

“Go on,” I tell him. “Or do you need a piece of laundry or something first?”

“Th-Thank you! Gibby will spread word of your bravery and generosity today! Everyone will know! Everyone! A-And Sacko won’t hurt anymore brownies. Gibby promise! No more Morgo means no more hurting brownies. B-But Gibby…” He stops and looks at the ground. “Gibby wish he could have saved Boogie.”

“Yeah, well, you blew it,” I say, knowing that none of it matters. “You let your friend die and you’ll have to live with it the rest of your life.”

The two little goblins pay no attention to the comment and walk away together, holding hands, and I quickly make my way back to the brownie tree to see the end of this interesting, albeit odd, quest.

* * *

“Hail, sweet brave adventurer!” declares Hairy Meg. She leaps in the air as some fanfare plays. “You might be a smelly human with bad hair, but you’ve saved my boy!”

Smelly? Bad hair? I feel attacked.

“Yes, thank you!” says Bowie, standing beside his mother.

“You’ve shown true valor today, human friend, and now we owe you a debt. Let us come with you and lend you our strength. We might look helpless, but the brownie folk are more useful than you realize.”

“It’s true!” says Bowie. “I’m handy as a tailor, especially with shoes and belts. Want me to add some enchantments to your equipment?”

“Sure,” I reply.

He clasps his hands and comes closer, then touches my shoes and a magical little sound effect plays. The shoes glow briefly before fading. I check my inventory to examine them, only to find that they’re slightly better, with +1 to all the ability scores. Interesting.

“What do you think? Pretty spiffy, isn’t it?” asks Meg. “Now, that boost isn’t permanent. Only while we’re helping.”

I wonder what constitutes helping?

“And that’s not all,” Meg continues. “My son will stay at your home, wherever you hail from, unless you don’t have one, in which case he will stay here.”

She pauses.

“I see you do have a home. Bowie will await you there, whenever you need him. Dawnshire, yes? A strange name for a strange adventurer.”

At first I’m surprised she knows that. Then again, this is King’s League. Of course they’d have a way for a chosen NPC to access data for any given character.

“Come and see me when you need help!” says Bowie, hopping up and down.

I watch him run off and out of the tree entrance, presumably to someplace inside my city.

“As for me, I can join you on your quest to provide you with some extra support. I might not look like much, but I’m actually quite strong. Not with fighting, like you humans, but I can help carry some of your adventuring equipment. How much? Well, about a third as much as you, I’d say. I’m also quite lucky.”

This last part is said with a cheeky wink. Interesting.

This is definitely new. I’d seen some players walking around with pets—NPCs that followed them wherever they went—but I’d never heard of one with a practical use. To be honest, I’d always considered them the digital version of those collectible mini figurines that people were so fond of. Of course, with King’s League those digital figurines were part of the block-chain, so they could be sold for legit cash, but still…

“Meet me at your Dawnshire,” she continues. “At the place where you are bound. I’ll be waiting there with my son, but don’t dilly dally or I’ll get bored and leave. I might be grateful, but I get bored easily and I won’t wait around forever.”

She begins to walk away, slowly, and every NPC’s head turns as the only female brownie among them departs. I guess they’re realizing what they missed out on now that Smurfette is leaving the village.

What a strange quest.

I’ll have to look into this more, but I’m curious if this is the only new quest the devs have quietly dropped into the game overnight or if it is, in fact, one of many. Maybe the online forums have some information on it. That’s where this stuff usually pops up.

A knock at my apartment door has me scrambling to use a teleportation stone spell to get back to Dawnshire. There’s no way I’m willing to chance the new and improved Nogg in exchange for hearing from some kid selling magazines. I take off my headset as soon as the column of light engulfs me and make for the door.

There’s a loud thump that has me moving in double time because it sounds like someone just fell. Before I undo all the locks and just wrench the door open, I step up close and look through the peephole. Some might call that paranoia, but what can I say? My experience with Billingsly opened my eyes. The man had shut down my bank account with a phone call after my refusal to sell my Graydon’s pieces.

Then I killed him and took his Graydon’s Piece. Digitally, that is. Either way, he no doubt hates my guts. I wouldn’t put it past him to find some way to come after me in the real world again.

The hall is empty. I undo the cheap security chain and slide the deadbolts free. On the spot where a welcome mat should have been had it not been stolen earlier this week lies a medium sized box. I get deliveries a lot, but this box is without the familiar corporate packaging you’d expect. Just a brown box with a thermal printed label. Weird. I check the package to make sure it has been delivered to the right address. Dirk Nelson. Yup, that’s me. Then I spot the sender: King’s Boost.

It clicks now.

The follow up email I’d received from King’s Boost about the sponsorship had mentioned a package was on the way. Still, I hadn’t expected next day delivery. I guess it’s not surprising though—King’s League and all its affiliates can afford the best of everything.

I can’t stop the grin that spreads over my face as understanding sinks in. Getting the email was a shock, one that wore off pretty quickly. I’d pretty much forgotten about it once I got into the Brownie quest. Now I was holding something tangible. I almost didn’t care if the contents turned out to be nothing but junk; it’s a symbol of how far I’ve come from not making ends meet.

It hits me that I’m just standing in my doorway staring down at the delivery. Feeling a little silly, I look both ways to make sure no one’s watching me and… coast clear… I haul it inside. It takes some effort because the box is heavier than I anticipate. I balance it on one raised knee so I can close and lock the door, then carry it to my kitchen counter, which for once, is thankfully clear.

Part of me wants to rip into the brown package with the ferocity of a younger me on Christmas day. Instead, I force myself to be calm and act like the adult I’m supposed to be. I dig a dull butterknife from the utensil drawer, make a mental note to pull the trigger on one of those Damascus steel pocketknives I’ve been looking at, and use that to hack through the tape until the lid springs free.

There is plenty of packing paper and I toss it on the floor without much thought. I can clean it up later. The first items come into view and my heart does a little leap. A case of King’s Boost energy drink in a variety of flavors.

All of them, from the looks of it. It’s the gift that keeps on making your heart leap. Real nice, Clark.

I stick it in the mostly empty fridge next to an expired package of sliced cheese. I know it’s expired not because of the printed date, but because it’s got green patches you could go swimming in. I should really throw that out, and I will. Just not right this second. I close the door on the wannabe petri dish and turn back to my spoils.

The drinks took up one half of the box. The other side contains merch and an envelope. Instinct has me reaching for the envelope first. I don’t want to start using the swag and then find out I’m supposed to do something special with it.

Now I could read you the letter verbatim, but that would be tedious and time consuming. The gist is that I am now officially part of the King’s Boost family. I get alternating bi-weekly shipments of energy drinks and exclusive King’s Boost products that are only available to those in the sponsorship program.

Then there’s the payment. I get monthly income based on ad revenue—there’s a long-winded explanation on how that works but I ignore it for now and focus on what is expected of me. The basic requirements are as follows:

1) Perform a minimum of one (1) livestream per week.

2) During at least one (1) livestream per week, promote King’s Boost. This can be done a number of ways, such as:

a) have product visible during stream,
b) verbally mention product, or
c) allow marking links on your feed during a livestream.

3) Maintain a viewership of at least one million (1,000,000) channel subscribers.

It seems pretty straightforward to me. I see a few tips and tricks to make more money, all of them revolving around doing more streams and hocking more products. Well, duh. It doesn’t take a genius—or someone in analytics—to understand the more videos you do the more traffic, the more revenue.

I do worry about the subscriber requirement. Viewers come and go all the time. I just now hit the one mil mark and I’m sure it fluctuates. Of course, there’s a tip for attracting and keeping subs with a catchy title, otherwise known as clickbait. I don’t want to resort to that—it’s one of the top viewer complaints across the internet, myself included.

There’s also some fine print about my agreeing to behave with integrity or risk being pulled from the program. Again, pretty straightforward and is pretty much your standard code of conduct put out by any sponsor or even private employer for that matter.

All good. That done, I check out the new merch and find a cache of goodies. A real-life loot box, if you will. There is a black t-shirt bearing the King’s Boost logo in lime green. Not something I’d ever wear except to work out in , but it’s free, so cool. Next is a packet of stickers with suggested places on which to place them. The VR headset, laptop, or in a convenient window.

Why not just plaster them on the middle of my forehead?

The last few things in the box are a lanyard with a badge on it and a poster of a player battling a dragon. Those things used to be pretty rare, but there’s definitely been an increase in the game as of late. The badge is the same kind you get at conventions to show what areas you can get into. My picture is proudly on display, pulled from my King’s League account profile. Embossed under my school ID (the photo I’d used) are the words Dirk Nelson, Tier 1 Sponsorship.

I wonder what you have to do for a Tier 2 Sponsorship? Actually, scratch that. That would be a lesser thing. So maybe just drop subscribers? Before I can check, because for some reason I need to know, my phone pings. It’s the King’s League messaging app saying I’ve received a private message from Stoneburner. The text simply says, “Private Chat.”

I open the chat line. “What’s up, Stone?”

“Friend Nogg, a woman has come to see Dirk. She arrived moments ago.”

“You know it’s me,” I tell him, ignoring his roleplaying. “But alright. Who is it?”

“The fair maiden Spyce. She’s come to speak with you, though she refuses to tell me the exact details, I’m afraid.”

“Spyce is in Dawnshire?” Even though she had mentioned visiting, I was still surprised to hear that. It’s been a while. “Guess that means I need to swap characters.”

“Ah, does that mean friend Dirk will be here soon? Excellent and well met! How has your time in the forest treated you, Nogg? Did you see any growth?”

“Funny you should ask. Keep an eye out for two little brownie NPCs. They should show up in town soon.”

“Brownies? Pray tell, what do you mean?”

“I’ll explain later once we figure out what Spyce wants. For now, I’m switching to Dirk. See you in a hot minute.”

4

Spyce sits with her legs crossed, staring out into the town square. From behind, she looks nothing like the girl from 86-Neon, nor does she resemble the version of herself I first met in Dawnshire. Oh, sure, she’s still an elf, but the druid garb is gone and even her hair color is different. Maybe she’s not trying to hide her identity anymore, maybe she’s just gone back to her normal look.

And what a look it is.

Dark hair down to her shoulders. Tight-fitting assassin armor with an exposed face and neck. No gloves. It’s all so different from the last time I saw her, but one thing is the same.

Her face is there, with the same quiet expression I remember from the cyberpunk realm. Despite the transition to King’s League vanilla, I know right away that this is the same Spyce.

“It’s about time,” she comments, popping a glance over her shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for nearly an hour.”

I hesitate before I respond, suddenly uncertain of my next words, but I quickly find them. “I had something to do in the real world. You know how it goes.”

She watches me, raising her brow as I close the gap between us. “Sit down. I need to talk to you about something.”

“Straight to the point. Alright.”

Sitting down serves no real purpose in the game, but I do it anyway. For just a second I consider testing the waters and using the Flirt command, which will allow my avatar to do a number of silly actions. One of them is the old yawn-and-reach where my character would fake a yawn and try to put an arm around the intended player who can choose to accept or reject.

The idea of her rejecting the playful move keeps me from trying it out. In fact, I can see Spyce replying with a punch action which would be even worse. I cast a sideways glance at her. “So, what brings you all the way to my neck of the woods? I was starting to wonder if you were actually going to visit like you said you would.”

“Actually, I meant to visit sooner, but… busy, busy. You know how it goes.”

“Touché.”

“Something happened that made me pull the trigger, though. And here I am.”

That’s not good. It means she’s got a problem. Probably wasn’t even ready to make the trip yet.

Playing as Dirk again lets me check her inventory and see what’s what. Looks like she’s gained two levels and hit 99. Nice.

My eyes hover over her inventory, Graydon’s Sight allowing me to go from one item to the next. She’s still using the same weapons. The Stinger, Guided Darts, and her Cobra Whip are all there. There’s also her usual poisons and a small blade called Dagger of Vengeance which appear to be boosted when dual-wielded.

Dagger of Vengeance: x3

Magical

Legendary

Durability: 290/290

Damage: 2-35

Double damage if user has two or more "Daggers of Vengeance" equipped

+20% attack speed

Dragonspine Poison: 2

100 damage, then 1 damage per second for 200 seconds.

Darkwater Poison: 2

Slows target by 50% for 30 seconds.

Wraith Poison: 2

Slows target by 60% for 60 seconds.

Armor looks the same, too. Elvenweave Armor. A Necklace of Defense and Clingers, which I still have no idea what those actually are. She does seem to have new boots, though.

Boots of the Amber Wars

Magical

Durability: 310/400

9% physical damage reduction

4% magical damage reduction

10% increased sneak skill

Not a bad pair, especially for an assassin. Well, unofficially the term is Bounty Hunter since there’s an Assassin subclass but that’s entirely different. Bounty hunting was a job created by players who don’t mind player killing for a quick buck and the easy 1000 XP.

I’m about to look over her items and money when I see something missing in the waist slot. Namely, Graydon’s Binding. Her belt.

She notices me staring.

“You checking me out again?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I just noticed your belt is gone.” Since she’s not wearing anything to hide or change her appearance, it should be obvious to anyone that she’s not wearing a piece of Graydon’s Armor.

“How observant.”

“You didn’t lose it, did you?”

Spyce frowns, a look of mild disgust on her face at my having suggested such a thing. “No. No, don’t be ridiculous. I unequipped it. Look, I still have it.”

She reaches into her bag and pulls the belt out, places it on, and now I can see it around her waist.

“Okay. Why?”

“Someone found out about it and attacked me.”

“They were after the belt? How did that happen?”

“After you left, I started working on leveling. Needed to catch up to you. You’ve got that helmet so you already know I succeeded.”

I nod. No sense hiding it.

She continues. “Anyway, on my way back from hitting 99 I was out of Big Red Doses and low on supplies. Two idiots jumped me on the edge of the city. Straight up said they were after the armor.”

“Well, you weren’t killed. That’s good.”

She nods. “I took care of them. Well, ran them off.” She gives me a wry smile. “I don’t go down that easily.”

I chuckle. “So who was it? They obviously didn’t know what you were capable of if they attacked you out in the open like that.”

“I don’t know how they found out about me or the belt, but their names were Rhodon and Zenidax. They didn’t say who sent them or how they knew about the armor. Only that they wanted it.”

I rack my brains for the names. Maybe streamers? But no. I draw a blank. “Never heard of them,” I say.

“Neither had I,” she admits. “They were just a couple of level 60s. Didn’t put up much of a fight.”

“Somehow I doubt they had the time,” I tell her, letting some of my admiration through. “I remember our little scrap vividly.”

A sly smile forms at the corner of her mouth and I can tell she’s smiling in real life from behind whatever VR set she’s using. “Thank you. Anyway, I decided I should pay you a visit and fill you in directly.”

“Just in case someone figures out I’ve got some Graydon’s pieces?”

“Not in case. They know it, Dirk. These idiots were blabbermouths. Right when they attacked, Rhodon said something about going after you next. The other mentioned something about Dead Hunter.”

That’s troubling. If those two knew about Graydon’s Armor, I hate to think about what other information they might be privy to.

“Too bad you didn’t kill them. Lot easier to deal with level ones…”

She shrugs. “I nearly took them both out, but they managed to get away. It happens. Honestly, I have no idea what they were thinking. At least form a raiding party if you’re going after a level 99.”

“Be glad they didn’t.” I try to smile, but I’m not feeling it. “It stands to reason that someone told them about us.”

“The same thought occurred to me, but I don’t know who it could have been.”

“Maybe Billingsly?” I ask. “We brought him down, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still talking to people in the game.”

“Maybe, but I’ve been using my usual channels to see if he’s active and nothing’s come up. I wouldn’t rule him out completely, but I also wouldn’t jump to any conclusions.”

“That aside, what good does it do to send a couple of level sixties after us?”

“Exactly,” she says. “That’s a good point. Billingsly would never be that sloppy. He’d at least send a couple of high-level eighties or nineties. He’s not an idiot.”

I say nothing for a moment, unsure of where this leaves us.

“I suppose this means you don’t have any answers for me,” Spyce finally says. She smiles, starts to laugh but stops herself. “Maybe it was nothing. I don’t know. They could have overheard something.”

There’s a brief pause. “No, I don’t think that’s it at all,” I tell her. “Hardly anyone knows about the armor to begin with, but I have a bunch of subscribers so maybe someone figured something out. I try to be careful and hide it but who knows. But if it were that, why would they know about you and especially about Dead Hunter?”

“We’re certainly not advertising for all of King’s League to take us down like you are, Dirk.”

“I’m hardly doing that.”

“You’re making a case that you’re the top dog. Owner of Dawnshire and helped take down Cygnus, too. What’s that saying? To be the man you’ve got to beat the man?”

“Ric Flair,” I say. “Kind of surprised. You didn’t seem like the type to be a fan.”

“Yeah. Because he totally didn’t crossover into pop culture. I must be a wrestling fan.”

I shrug. “Fair enough. Okay, back to the topic at hand, though. So, you didn’t say anything. But what about Dead Hunter? Maybe he caused a stir somewhere. Or maybe someone in the know has chosen to speak up.”

Spyce shakes her head. “Trust me, Dirk. I’ve looked all over the net before coming to chat. There’s nothing public about any of this except that Cygnus has new management, but most of the credit has gone to Booster. Good move giving him stewardship of the company, by the way.”

“Thanks, but I was just being selfish. Running the corporation would mean sticking around in 86-Neon, and I just didn’t want to.”

“Didn’t enjoy it?”

“It was all right, but the vanilla game will always be my true love. And I already have an obligation to take care of—” I motion to the area around us. “—all of this.”

“Fair enough,” she says. “Well. Since you’re not going to be any help in finding out who’s trying to kill me, how about a tour?”

“Of Dawnshire?” I ask, then stand up. “Sure. How about right now?”

She smiles. “Why not? Let’s see if this place lives up to the hype.”

* * *

I take Spyce through our little town, stopping first at the potion maker, then to the tailor. Some of the buildings have been slightly upgraded since I last perused them. That’s probably because of Smog, the resident genie who does pretty much whatever I assign him to do, whether that involves pulling weeds (which he does every third day) or helping with upgrading buildings. When we get a new resident or need something constructed, including shops, Smog is the one who does it. He can’t toss up a building right away, but a single day and night is enough for the basics.

The merchant wares are also better. No doubt a result of the income we’ve continued to generate. I wonder how far the growth will go in time. How much detail did the developers put into this project? It’s just for us, after all, and not a game wide feature.

Dawnshire, like everything else associated with Graydon’s Armor, resides in unprecedented territory.

“So,” I say, turning to Spyce as we follow one of the stone paths between buildings, heading toward the blacksmith. “What do you think?”

“Not bad,” she says. “You could use a little more variety with your shops, but it’s about on par with a regular city.”

“The shops are player operated, so I have to find the right kind of people willing to move here and devote game time to being a good merchant. Not scumbags, not price gougers, not ghosts or NPCs slaved to defined scripts who can’t hear you out and consider offers to exchange shares in adventuring for reduced prices. All that requires people who are really committed to it. You think you find one and then find out… nope.” I look around. “ We’re growing, but we’re no River Market.”

She looks off to my left, then points. “That doesn’t look like a player to me.”

I turn toward the blacksmithing shop to see a mid-40’s looking man with a large beard, broad shoulders, and a don’t-screw-with-me expression that reminds me of an oversized dwarf. He’s wearing a leather apron and is holding a pair of metallic tongs. His name appears to simply be “Blacksmith”.

“Huh,” I mutter, walking toward the building. “I guess Stoneburner got another helper.”

As we approach, the NPC turns to me and says, “How can I help ya? Care fer a sword? A knife? All the above?”

“Greetings!” calls a voice from behind the blacksmith. Stoneburner’s face pops out and he gives me a wide grin. “Dost thou approve of my new associate?”

“A third?” I ask. “Two assistants weren’t already enough for you?”

“I take it this is the real blacksmith,” says Spyce.

“Oh, yeah, sorry. You’ve met Stoneburner, right?”

“Yes, she has,” he says and then turns to Spyce to perform a deep bow. “Welcome to my shop, fair maiden.”

“Thanks, but you can save the maiden business,” she says.

“Stoneburner also handles the day-to-day operations around here,” I add.

“I only do what friend Dirk asks of me. He is a busy man.”

“Modest,” Spyce says.

“So, where’d you get this NPC from, Stoneburner?” I ask him. “Another upgrade purchase?”

“Ah, my new assistant appeared this morning, actually. It was an unexpected gift from the gods, surely.”

“This morning?” I ask. “What do you mean? How did he appear?”

“Exactly as it sounds, friend Dirk. I was working the forge when, upon finishing a rather fine set of blades for one of our lower ranks, I found that my skill had increased, and with it, this kind gentleman appeared, as though from nowhere. At first, I thought it sorcery, but now I believe the city has simply rewarded us for our hard work. Tis a fine reward indeed, too, as he is far more capable than the others.”

“Are you saying you unlocked him when you leveled up your crafting skill?”

“That is one way of putting it,” he says, glancing at the NPC and the forge. “Out of all the craftsmen—and women—I remain the most skilled, so I am curious to see if others experience such an event.”

“So, how is this one better than the others?” I ask him.

“The previous two could do basic tasks, such as basic repairs and simple crafting recipes, but this one seems capable of matching my own range of metalwork.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” I toss another glance at the burly man in front of the forge as he hammers an iron, causing sparks to fly from the metal.

“As I said before, I am level 45 in the blacksmith profession, so the recipes at my disposal are limited to that. The other assistants could only craft up to level 10, but this one is able to do as much as I.”

“So he’s just as good as you are?”

“Indeed!” he exclaims. “And what’s more, he continues to gain experience. Not just for himself, but for the both of us.”

“Even when you’re gone from your shop?” asks Spyce, sounding a little amazed.

“Yes, fair ma--” Stoneburner pauses and clears his throat. “Ahem, fair assassin, I mean to say. Please, forgive my rudeness.”

“What about if you leave the city?” I ask.

“That much, I have not tested yet,” he admits. “Though, I think it's worth a try.”

“Who is the next highest merchant in the city?” Spyce asks. I’m a bit surprised by how interested she is in all of this.

“The next highest is Tyr1on. He’s nearly level 40, last he told me,” says Stoneburner. “A fine lad.”

“Forty-two now,” I say and knock on my helmet. “Saw him earlier”

“What’s he do?” asks Spyce.

“He runs the General Store.” I point in the shop’s direction for her. “If you ever need the basics, he’s got you covered. There’s also Roxxy over at the Potion Shop. She just expanded her wares to include some poisons and new ingredients if you’re in the mood to work on your brewing skill.”

“Feisty, that one!” exclaims Stoneburner. “She and Tyr1on have been squabbling as of late. He claims she’s encroaching on his customer base, but she insists he is overreacting. I fear we may soon have to intervene, friend Dirk.”

“Just wait until they see this little assistant of yours,” I tell him. “Everyone will want one soon.”

“That they will!” he says with a chuckle.

“Excuse me,” comes a woman’s voice from nearby. We all look toward the shop to find a female halfling by the name of DomDom standing at the counter. “Is my dagger ready yet?”

“Ah, pardon me, friends. I must attend to something,” says Stoneburner. He does a bowing animation and backs away. “Let us resume this discussion at a later time. Good day!”

As he leaves, Spyce turns back to me. “That guy is interesting.”

“He likes to roleplay. It takes some getting used to.”

“It’s not just that. You’ve given him all this responsibility. He runs this place for you, just like how you left Cygnus with Booster.”

“What’s so surprising about that?”

“Most people would fight to control this much real estate in King’s League. The money you generate… Cygnus alone is worth a small fortune… but you’d rather just play the game.”

I take a second, letting her words linger while I pretend to think about what I’m going to say. The truth is, I’ve already got the answer. It isn’t a hard one, not for me. “Sometimes you need to delegate. Part of that means learning to see when someone else is better at something than you are. Stoneburner has an aptitude for detail that I just don’t.”

“Because you’d rather be doing something else.”

“Exactly,” I say with a nod, not wanting to hide the truth from her. “And focusing on what I enjoy has gotten me this far, so why change it?”

“You get to go adventuring while your friends are taken care of,” she continues. “And meanwhile, you get a cut of the action.”

I shoot a finger gun at her. “Now you’re getting it.”

“Well, it’s not what I would do, but it seems to work for you.” She pauses, her eyes perking up at a building across the central square. “That’s the inn, isn’t it?”

“Andrade’s, yeah.”

“Think I’ll log off over there. I have some errands I need to run in the real world. Do you mind if I park myself here for the night?”

“You can stay as long as you want, Spyce.”

“Thanks,” she says, taking a few steps before looking back over her shoulder. “I’m not saying I’m here to stay or anything, but I’d like to stick around for a bit. Maybe figure out who’s after us.”

I cross my arms. “I might be down for a team up. If we don’t do anything too crazy, Stoneburner can come along and test whether his new NPC generates XP while he’s out of town.”

“Good,” she says, turning away again. “See you tomorrow, Dirk.”

I watch her go for a minute, not entirely sure what to make of all of this. Everything she’s told me, all the talk of someone going after her armor, and the mention of both me and Dead Hunter. Maybe it’s nothing, like I told her. A simple fluke where some level 60 player overheard a conversation they shouldn’t have… or maybe there’s a whole lot more to it.

Either way, I have to prepare for the worst. We’re not just normal players. Not anymore. We’re Graydon Users. Champions of the trickster and creator god. If word got out about us and what we have, things could get very ugly. King’s League is worth hundreds of billions of dollars with an economy that employs a quarter of the United States’ population to some degree, whether part time or full. The company is the largest in the world, their stocks topping the charts every quarter.

Whatever we’re dealing with, whatever Graydon’s Armor really is—it could change the way the game exists. Anything with that kind of influence could prove dangerous, especially to someone with a financial investment in it. Powerful people with powerful resources, all of them aimed at us. Billingsly was a prime example of that, but maybe he was only the beginning.

But for now, I only know so much. The armor was built as a set, which means I need more pieces. Once those are collected… who knows? Maybe that will be the end, or maybe it will lead us to the true purpose behind the armor, Dawnshire, and Graydon.

I need to learn more about the armor, which means I have to get back out there and search for clues and answers.

And from what Spyce just told me, I won’t be the only one doing it.

5

My dad used to tell me stories about the games he played when he was a kid. Everquest, World of Warcraft, Runescape, Asheron’s Call, Final Fantasy XI, Guild Wars, Ragnarok Online, and Ultima, just to name a few. That was back in what he used to call the golden age of MMORPGs, between 1996 and 2005. Today, the selection is more limited. Sure, you can still play a few of the classics, including EQ and WoW (although most players are on private servers), but the rest have gone defunct, especially after King’s League took off and expanded into different genres.

I remember watching Dad game when I was six years old, sitting beside him at the computer. He showed me his character and together we made up backstories.

His character’s name was usually Jakobi, which was the closest he could get to his own name. I guess that’s why I called my character Dirk back when King’s League was first getting off the ground and names were available. Whenever possible Dad would choose a human with red hair in order to look just like him. I remember when he was playing Everquest, I decided that Jakobi had been raised by wolves and trained by dragons. Considering he was a cleric, it hardly made sense, but Dad made it work all the same. We went back and forth swapping stories of his wild upbringing. He even gave me updates on Jakobi whenever we had breakfast, filling me in on the questing he’d done the night before and what he planned to do later.

Seems like a lifetime ago.

Someone knocks at the door. “Dirk, are you there?”

I involuntarily squeeze my eyes in protest. I wasn’t asleep, but I was drifting. Awake but not yet fully settled into the real world. Just laying in bed daydreaming. “Brian?” I mutter, nowhere near loud enough to be heard.

Brian knocks again. “Dirk!” His muffled voice comes through the door as he knocks. Hearing my name again pulls me out of my thoughts and sends the memories of my father scattering. The old comforts of home replaced by the real world and my real apartment.

The day is new for me, although it’s got to be close to noon judging by the way the light breaks through the curtains. How long did I sleep?

“I’m coming,” I say, still hardly loud enough for him to hear.

He knocks again, confirming it.

I slip on the only clean shirt I have—Future Trunks from Dragonball Z—and hurry to the door. I’m expecting Brian to be ready to hit me with some kind of story of disaster from the way he’s knocking, but when I open the door, I find him smiling instead. He’s beaming at me with his usual optimistic and carefree charm.

“What’s cooking, chief?” he asks, nudging his way past me and into my place. “I was wondering when you’d wake up. Tried calling you but I got nothing. Figured I’d just come over.”

“Sorry, I had to put the phone on silent.” I close the door behind him.

He takes his shoes off after he sits on the bed, stretching out his feet and placing his hands behind his head. With a long, relaxed sigh, he says, “Well, I’ve got news, buddy.”

“News?”

“Yep. I got a B on my final exam, which means I’m passing that Shakespeare course. Skate class my ass. Anyway, how about that?”

“Congrats.” I’m genuinely happy to hear it. “How about the other four classes you’re taking?”

He snickers. “Dude. One thing at a time. Let’s enjoy today’s win. I still gotta take those tests, but I’m feeling pretty confident.”

“You’re sure you’re ready for them?” I pause. “You’re not doing anything you shouldn’t be, right?”

He scoffs at the question and places a hand over his chest, pretending to be insulted. “Moi? What would I be doing, Dirk?”

I shrug. “Whatever it is you do. I’ve seen you get pretty creative with slacking off.”

“Hey, give me a little credit, bro.”

“I just did. You work hard to avoid working. That’s its own skill.”

We both chuckle for a moment, but then he sits up, suddenly much more serious. The smile on his face changes to a more somber expression—the kind he rarely wears. “Dirk,” he says, pausing after my name. He leans forward. “Trust me. I’m not going to screw this up, not after what you did for me. I wouldn’t do that.”

“That’s good, man.” I head into the nearby bathroom and start the water and grab a toothbrush.

“So,” he continues, his voice echoing through from the other room. “How’s the game been going? You keeping busy since I left? You didn’t die and screw it all up, did you?”

“No,” I answer, continuing to brush my teeth. I gargle with some mouthwash and spit. “Actually, funny you should ask, but I’ve been messing around with Nogg.”

“You’re doing what all the ladies dream of.”

“Whatever.” I walk back out and lean against the doorway between the two rooms. “Nothing serious. Just learning how to be a wizard. Kind of nice to get a break from being Dirk and the drama that follows from it.”

I want to tell him about what I’ve really been doing, but it would ruin the surprise. When he comes back, he’ll have a much better character to play. And he’ll deserve it, too, after all the work he’s put into his classes.

“Well, just don’t get me killed. Well, more than I usually do by myself,” he jokes.

“Is that even possible? You burn through characters faster than you do girlfriends.”

He laughs again. “Hey. I’m still with Stacy. But seriously, don’t kill me. Finals will all be done in two weeks. Then we can game again. Plus, I can put some more energy into the channel.”

“I’ll do my best. But the channel is doing some good things, man.” I tell him about the sponsorship. He immediately goes to my fridge and cracks open one of the energy drinks.

“This is as much mine as it is yours, bro,” he says with a wink before taking a big gulp.

I laugh and don’t protest.

Brian hangs for about an hour. We discuss the game a little, but most of the conversation is about school, which is a nice change of pace for me. King’s League has been my life and I was sort of forgetting that there were indeed other things outside of it. After a while, he gets up to leave and mentions something about a math exam tomorrow. “Math of Personal Finance. Just had to take the one math course and then… done for life. I feel pretty good about it. Stacy’s gonna meet me at my place to study. You know, just to be safe.”

“Text me tomorrow and let me know how it went.”

He opens the door and gives me a thumbs up. “I promise at least a C, Dad!”

I wave as the door shuts, then look down at my shirt. Time to shower. If I’m going to have Nogg leveled up any further than he already is by the time Brian comes back, I have my work cut out for me.

* * *

Cold pizza is always a treat and it’s my breakfast today, if you can even call it that at this point. It’s the early afternoon and I’ve already hung out with Brian, showered, added some XP toward the 2.3 million Nogg needs to hit level 24, and sold some drops.

But I can only ignore my stomach for so long.

Yeah, the food is two days old, but it tastes fine. In my professional opinion, pizza doesn’t start to taste off until five days after delivery—assuming refrigeration. With a pepperoni slice in one hand and a King’s League Enchantress energy drink in the other I sit back and pull up some game streams.

I like to start with the trending tab to see if there’s an event going on in case I’ve missed anything. It also helps when you’re looking to discover new up and coming players. Lately, I’ve been keeping a closer eye on it to see if anyone’s picked up a Graydon’s Armor piece and made a show of it.

So far, nothing, and I’m hopeful it stays that way. I don’t even come across a clickbait headline like, “You won’t believe the item I found!” or “AMAZING NEW ITEM DROP! GAME CHANGING!”

A part of me wishes I could find something like that—any hint of information on the net to point me in the right direction of where to go next to find the rest of the armor. Well, the last piece that doesn’t belong to Spyce or Deadhunter. We’ll all have to figure something out at some point if we collectively own everything. Then there are the two goons who came after Spyce. Whoever they were, they knew about the armor, which means there was a chance they’d appear on the streams and tell the world. And maybe they’d do exactly that eventually, or maybe it would be whoever they told. Either way, word would get around and I’d be under a microscope.

But it wouldn’t be today.

I know that I have to stream again soon. I do it from time to time, but I don’t have a set schedule, mostly because I’m playing Nogg so much now. I’ve been recording Nogg’s adventures, but that’s also for Brian. My thought is maybe he can use the footage of the stuff like the Brownie adventure and start his own channel. Get some revenue. But Dirk is being ignored. Or at least his fans are. Maybe I should do another one and check in on things. A quick glance at my account shows I’ve gone over a 1.1 million subscribers. That’s a gain of fifty thousand over the last two weeks.

I’ve about had my fill of streams, I’m out of pizza, and the surprisingly tangy Enchantress energy drink is pretty much empty. Right when I’m about to close out the website and move on, a notification of a new video catches my eye.

It’s from Salvatore’s channel, and the title is, “My New Life and the Truth About King’s League. All My Secret Strategies.”

The title intrigues me and yet it’s far different from his older videos. Less clickbait. The description below is even more detailed: “I discuss all my techniques and secrets on how I conquered King’s League. Watch this new daily series. You won’t believe how I did it.”

Okay, so a little clickbaity, but still interesting. Does this mean Salvatore is getting into tutoring now? He lost his level and had to start over, and he was publicly shamed, his sponsors dropped him, so all he’s got is this channel and his admittedly hefty subscriber count.

I click the video, simultaneously filled with interest and anxiety. I know how he did it. And if he’s going to spill about Graydon’s Armor, my life is going to get a lot more hectic.

When his face appears, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia. Brian and I used to watch this guy a lot, even though he was a douche. Knowing how it all turned out is a bit surreal.

He still looks put together. Designer t-shirt, a gaming room to die for. Haircut on point. Everything perfect. But he’s not smiling at the start of the video or being particularly bombastic. He’s sober. Serious.

“A lot of you know me, and you know I’m good at what I do. I’m the best.”

Still humble as ever, I see.

“That’s why you’re here, right? You read the title of this upload and you wanna know how I did it. How I became the best. Well, I’m here to give it away. No secrets. No pulling punches. Because I’m quitting the game and I’ve got nothing to lose.”

He’s quitting?

“Let me give you some context. I’m still playing King’s League, but I’m over on the Golden version now and I’m playing for fun. No more competitive for me. I don’t like what that side of the game turned me into. It is what it is.”

Golden? That was the more relaxed version of King’s League, originally created for new players to get a feel for the game. It’s exactly the same, except you don’t lose your levels when you die and there’s also no way to kill other players.

The downside is that you can’t sell your items for real world money or level up and switch to vanilla. If you do decide to rejoin one of the regular versions you forfeit all achievements and start back at zero, which is exactly why most people ignore it. If you want to get a feel for the game, you play in the beginner zones like the Woods of Adventure. At least over there you have an infinitesimally small chance of something dropping a valuable item that you can actually use or sell. King’s League’s economy is more stable than most countries, and after the stock market crashed five years ago, desperate people flooded the servers to find work. Since then, hardly anyone but kids play on Golden. For Salvatore to be there… Well, talk about unexpected.

“Okay, maybe quitting is too strong a word,” Salvatore continues. “I just need a break for a while.” He takes a deep breath. “I’m gonna tell you guys how it’s done. You thought my streams were good before? Wait until I really start going! And I know there’s a ton of people out there who don’t want me saying any of this, but too bad. I left my guild, dropped all my sponsors, and I’m out, which means I got nothing holding me back!”

I shake my head. He says he dropped his sponsors, but everyone knows it was the other way around. This guy just refuses to be honest with himself.

“Check in tomorrow for the first official video in this series. I’ll fill you guys in on how to make some easy, quick gold, and where I went to level in my 20s and 30s. Not enough for you? Stay to the end for a bonus secret.” He leans closer to the camera, so much that I can see the veins in his eye. “You won’t want to miss this one. I promise.”

With that, the video doesn’t so much wrap up as it just… ends. Nine other boxes pop up where the video was, suggesting other streams I can check out.

But I just close the whole thing down and sit back in my chair.

What is Salvatore playing at? Is he really planning to give away everything he knows about the game for free? As soon as he tells them something, it will become common knowledge. If he points out a cheat or an exploit, the devs will patch it within a few days.

The guy was at the top of the game before I took him out, and he could get back to level 99 with everything he knows. But as far as I can tell, his secret involved two things: Having a piece of Graydon’s Armor and working with his guild to create a PK syndicate to rack up XP via mass low-level player genocide. Not something you can really teach.

So what’s the deal?

I scoot over to my headset and place it in my lap. It was only a short while ago that Salvatore sent that threatening letter to Stoneburner. He even referenced Stone’s wife, Mary. Despite that, however, nothing has happened and there have been no more letters. Not to Stoneburner and certainly not to me. I had almost forgotten about Salvatore—I mean, not really, but enough that I’m not on edge about him—until seeing this headline. Whatever Salvatore is up to, I’ll have to keep an eye on it. I can’t underestimate him. Not like he did to me.

In the meantime, though, I have a character to level, a town to run, and armor to find. And, eventually, a stream to complete.

I place the headset on and strap in. It’s nearly 3pm, but my day is only just beginning.

6

Several hours into grinding and I’ve managed to stack some XP in the hunt toward level 24. The experience I received from taking down Morgo and turning in that quest to the brownies really helped with my progress, but not enough for me to feel any hope I’ll level up today. As things now stand I’m still two million XP shy of where I need to be. And with how stingy this game is with giving out experience… let’s just say I’m in for a long haul.

At around seven in the evening, right after I have a meal that most might consider ‘dinner’, a message comes in from Stoneburner.

“Friend Nogg, please inform Dirk that I have pressing news.”

I chuckle at the formality. “Be right there. Just have to get Nogg to safety.”

As soon as Nogg is tucked in safe in his bed at the inn, I swap my rigs to switch accounts.

The load up happens quickly and it only takes a few seconds before I am standing as Dirk inside Dawnshire’s Temple once more.

“It’s about time,” says a familiar female voice. A quick glance to my left reveals Spyce, leaning against the temple wall with her arms crossed.

I look around. It’s just the two of us. “Where’s Stoneburner?”

“He’ll be here in a minute. Said something about checking in with Wu-Tanis before heading over.”

True to his word, Wu-Tanis came to Dawnshire from 86-Neon shortly after Booster began to run Cygnus as its Vice President. Wu spent most of his initial time learning the ins and out of vanilla, then transitioned into working with newcomers. For a small fee, of course. He set up his own adventuring shop. Initially I didn’t think it would work but lots of people seem eager to have a guide help them reach those early level ups and hold onto them—which is the tricky part.

Wu-Tanis’s work made Dawnshire that much more inviting for people who hadn’t been here before. All in all, our community was shaping up to be a major success.

“Okay,” I say to Spyce. “I take it you have something to share?”

She eases off the wall and walks toward me, her eyes moving up and down like she’s inspecting me. There’s a long pause between my question and her answer, and for a second I wonder if she’s playing me again. “I do, yeah.”

“And it is…?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute when your friend comes back.”

“Why do you need Stoneburner here to tell me?”

“So I don’t have to say it twice for starters, but also because he asked me to wait, and I’m a girl of my word.”

“Greetings, friends! My apologies for the delay,” bellows Stoneburner as he walks through the entrance to the temple, a wide and inviting smile on his face. “Today has been a busy one. I was just speaking with our dear Wu-Tanis on the matter of his latest venture. He intends to… ah, there I go again! Please proceed, Lady Spyce.”

She nods. “I saw a post on one of the message boards. A small one called Fantasy Leaguers.”

The name instantly rings a bell. “That’s a King’s League forum for fantasy football. A bunch of guilds get together to make bets with in-game money. Nogg placed a few bets and lost each time. He, uh, kind of has a thing for long shots.”

“Did you?” she asks.

“I’m not much of a gambler. What were you doing in a place like that?”

“Looking for information. In fact, that’s how I’ve spent most of the last few days. What about you? Find anything out?”

“I’ve been leveling my friend’s character, actually,” I say, unashamed. “What did you find on the forum? Something besides football, I take it.”

To my surprise, she doesn’t demand to know why I haven’t been searching for more information too.

“Oh, yes,” she says, walking over to the nearby temple door and shutting it. Normally, I’d say something to warn her about the shock she’d receive if she tried to cross the threshold, but since she’s wearing the belt and should be considered a champion, I know she’ll be fine. “You’ll want to hear this,” she continues. “Apparently, someone over in the Hagz region saw another player—a high level one—running around with some kind of unique fire ability and taking out other players unprovoked.”

I tilt my head and stare at her for a second. “You sound surprised.”

She frowns back. “Well yeah. I didn’t expect to come across someone with a piece of Graydon’s set just running around in vanilla land.”

“Um, that reminds me, didn’t you say you knew where all the pieces in the Graydon’s set were? You told me a while back.”

Spyce goes still as though taken aback by my words. Finally, she clears her throat. “Oh, yeah. About that—”

“You also said you could take any piece you want. And I remember a very specific threat to my life that involved those words. Remember that?” I say with a smirk.

She kicks at a spot in the ground and for the first time, Spyce doesn’t exude all the confidence and badassery that I’ve become accustomed to. “That may have been, uh, crap. I maybe was exaggerating about all that. I didn’t want you to think I was an easy target.”

I shake my head. “I never thought that. I was just annoyed that you were putting all your problems on my shoulders and treating me like I was clueless.”

One of her shoulders lifts in an exaggerated gesture of not caring. “Sorry.”

“Hey, we both had reason to be highly suspicious after all that Billingsly had done to us. But now we’re on the same team,” I say as I give her an awkward pat on her shoulder. I know it’s just our characters, but it feels like the right thing to do. I think.

Spyce looks at my hand on her character’s shoulder and raises an eyebrow.

“Same team, right?” I say, feeling like my hand is glued to her shoulder.

“Did I give you permission to touch me?” She says as she takes a step closer to me.

“I, um...” I feel my heart start to race. Sheesh, Dirk, this isn’t even real life and you’re starting to sweat. Pull yourself together, man!

“I’m just kidding.” She winks and I feel blood rush to my cheeks in the real world.

For one horrifying second, I wonder if that can show on my avatar, but if it does, Spyce doesn’t comment. It's not the first time that I'm thankful to the devs that even though my VR helmet picks up facial expressions, it doesn't readily display blushing. I mean, everybody loves how immersive and realistic this game is, but you only want it to go so far. Know what I mean?

“But, yeah,” she continues. “We’re on the same team. And I appreciate you trying to get me to see the light instead of just killing me when you had the chance.” Her character smiles at me. “Ok, enough of this sappy crap. Back to work.”

Now that he has an opening, Stoneburner raises a hand like he has a question in class. “What, pray tell, makes you think it was a piece of Graydon’s armor?”

“Call it a hunch. After some more digging, the original poster on that forum isn’t the only one who saw it. It became sort of a board quest to find proof. After a while, a few others started posting about hearing or seeing something similar until one of them managed to snag a video.”

“Is there a link you can send?” I ask her.

“Check your email.”

“You have my email address?”

“Stoneburner gave it to me.”

I give the paladin a look.

“The lady asked!” He protests. “I meant no harm. Same team, Friend Dirk. Did you not say so?”

“Yeah, I said so.” I look to Spyce. “Give me a second.”

I pull up my inbox directly inside the game’s feed. King’s League has all sorts of nifty plugins you can get online—some approved by King’s League, some not. Using an unauthorized or unapproved plugin can result in a ban, and the devs are pretty strict about it. In this case, I’m using King’s Mail, which gives you access to up to fifteen different mailboxes, created with the approval of the dev team by a college student who was eventually brought in to be a part of the main team.

At the very top, resting above about two dozen spam letters, I spot hers.

The attached video fills my visor when I click on it. A huge stone wall catches my eye before anything else. We’re inside a city—a big one that I recognize right away. This is Leonidas, a large port city near the Lost Coast. It’s the southernmost settlement on the main continent, surrounded by several areas geared toward level 50s and higher. Below the wall, near what looks like a shopping district, a hooded figure with a Player Killer badge stands over a fallen body, as though he’s just killed him.

He probably has.

There’s a handful of people around and a few seem frozen at the spectacle, though one man looks more interested than shocked. He has the hood of his cloak up too and I can’t see his face. The cloak looks pretty cool with spiny protrusions coming off each shoulder and streaks of dark purple woven in. They almost look like they’re moving—no wait, they are moving. It must be an advanced mage’s cape or a strictly visual mod. Either way, it’s freaking cool.

I turn my attention back to the important part of the video.

Apparently, the person recording the stream didn’t see the actual kill, but I’m not exactly mad about it because the video yields something interesting. The player killer wouldn’t have stood out based on their clothing if not for the breeches.

His pants are on fire. Literally. Like, liar, liar…

I can’t get a good look at the player’s face—not from this angle. As I watch, the figure turns away and the fire begins to peter out. I do my best to keep up on the big forums about new items. I don’t remember hearing about anything like these sorts of pants—there’s a flaming cloak mages can wear, but no breeches. These are definitely a unique item and since pants don't do damage that I’m aware of, they probably have a unique effect to them.

One thing is for sure. I’ve seen these pants before.

After taking a screenshot and saving the image to the game’s personal storage (in case I need to pull this up later), I exit out of the app and clear my throat. “Well,” I finally say, looking directly at Spyce.

Her eyes perk up at the sound of my voice.

“Well,” she repeats.

"I mean, the player killer definitely has some kind of fire ability, though I didn’t get a look at what it does exactly. And I can’t be sure that’s a piece of the armor set, but I might have a way to check.”

“How?”

Stoneburner and I exchange another look, and he gives me a nod. “Come on and follow us. There’s something you should see. One of the reasons I invited you to spend some time here in the first place.”

We move deeper into the temple to the statue of Graydon. As I suspected, the statue’s breeches are identical to the one in the picture. Or if not identical, they’re close enough that I can’t tell the difference, even while cycling back and forth between the statue on the image I saved.

Spyce stares up at Graydon’s face. “Whoa.”

“I know,” I respond. “He’ll talk to you if you ask him something. Since you have a piece of the armor.”

She looks at me in disbelief. “Maybe later.”

I watch as she pores over each piece of armor, initially drawn to the helmet, then the chest and legs, and finally—

“Is that my belt?” she asks, her mouth slightly agape as she inches closer to the statue.

“Every piece of armor is here. I don’t know much about how it works, but I think they reflect the appearance when the user has them equipped,” I try to explain. “I looted the gloves from Salvatore. They looked different when he wore them, thanks to his appearance armor.”

“So he had them hidden,” she says.

“You say that like you’re surprised. You were wearing druid clothes when we first met, even though you’re not that class.”

“Sure, but that was to keep enemies from spotting me. Not because of the armor. There doesn’t seem to be a reason to hide it, especially early on when they dropped.”

“Salvatore was not your typical vagrant,” says Stoneburner. “He was boisterous and loud, but also cunning. A true villain!”

Spyce’s eyes linger on the belt around the statue’s waist, then turns to me. “So, you had this the entire time and didn’t bother to fill me in?”

The question takes me by surprise, but only slightly. “Hey, like I said. It was part of the reason I asked you to come visit. When you didn’t come, I figured, oh well.”

“You could have told me about this the first time I was in Dawnshire.”

I shake my head and smile. “Excuse me for not instantly trusting you with everything I know, especially after all the fighting and death threats. Anyway, I grabbed a screenshot and am looking at it now. These are definitely the same.”

“I wish to examine the picture of the bandit and his chest piece and breeches,” says Stoneburner.

“I’ll message it to you now,” I say. As soon as the instant message is delivered, Stone goes quiet.

“These boots look completely out of place,” Spyce says after a few seconds.

“Not your typical pair, huh?” I walk closer to the statue and touch the boots. They’re metal, almost futuristic, like something out of a scifi movie. A few of the armor pieces look off from the rest, but it’s hard to tell. The boots stand out the most, though, and by now I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out why.

“Not how I remember them looking on Dead Hunter.” She snaps her fingers. “It’s because they’re from another version of the game, isn’t it? Just like how all our other gear changes appearance when we go between worlds.”

“You got it. At this point I’m almost certain the statue reflects the pieces’ appearance based on the version of King’s League they’re currently in. So when you’re in 86-Neon, Graydon will look dressed accordingly.”

“And if you’re playing Interstellar,” Spyce says referring to the sci-fi space opera world, “The gear will probably look like these boots.”

“Exactly. Which means Hunter doesn’t spend all of his time in 86-Neon. He must go back and forth. Wonder what he likes about Interstellar.”

Spyce shrugs. “It’s not that far off from 86 if you think about it. Futuristic, just not as Dystopian. I heard a lot of people went there when Billingsly made 86-Neon hell for everyone.”

The more I think about it, the more I realize she’s probably right. Interstellar is exactly what you’d expect: King’s League in space. It’s the same combat system, same races, but now you’re fighting in the void with lasers and spaceships. I’ve only played a few minutes of it, back when the beta launched a few years ago, but I liked what I saw. People say it’s like a mix of Mass Effect, Halo, and Warhammer, but modernized, of course.

King’s League has grown so much since it first released. Interstellar is just one of many expansions. A few of the others include: Seas of Blood, RetroClasm, King’s League: Golden, Rise—a zombie themed world, The Wasteland, Deadwest, and apparently an upcoming First Person Shooter version based in Europe during World War 2. Admittedly, I’ve only dabbled in a few of them, so my experience is limited.

Stoneburner speaks up a second later, this time without the roleplaying, something that only happens when he’s preoccupied with something else. “It’s not the clearest, but I can clean this up for you.”

“You know how to do that?” Spyce asks, sounding impressed.

“My wife does. She’s a photographer and has a program for this sort of thing. She’d be more than happy to help.”

“I won’t say no to that,” I tell him.

He grins and returns to character. “Very well. I shall make haste and will not return until my task is vanquished. Farewell to you both.”

Stoneburner runs out of the room, leaving me and Spyce alone with the statue. She’s still examining it, probably trying to glean some secret from the armor pieces. When she’s given it a thorough look, she eases up and crosses her arms.

“All this fuss over some armor in a game. What’s the world come to?” Her voice is deeper when she asks the question, almost mockingly.

“What was that?” I ask.

“Oh, sorry,” she says with a slight laugh. “My mom talks like that. She’s older. Says the world has gone down the crapper since she was a kid.”

“Maybe she’s right,” I say with a shrug. “The world isn’t what it used to be. I remember my mom saying the same thing. Just look at what people are willing to do for this armor.”

“You’re one to talk,” she says, raising her eye. “You’ve killed more than one person and gotten more pieces of armor. As far as I know, you’re King’s League’s number one Graydon hunter. And killer.”

“That’s different. I already told you that Salvatore brought the fight to me, and you know Billingsly deserved it.”

“Yeah, I know.” She crouches besides the statue, running her finger along the tip of the boots. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re the kind of guy to kill someone just for their gear.”

I laugh again. “Thank you.”

She shrugs. “You haven’t killed me yet. Or tried to, anyway.”

“I know. Should have finished you off when I had the chance but that stupid conscience of mine got in the way.”

She winks. “I had a few tricks left up my sleeve.”

“Good thing we’re working together, then.”

Spyce smiles. “Yeah, good thing.”

She stands up and walks around the statue. Her eyes dance as she studies the armor—a digital representation of what she’s doing under the headset. Whoever she is in the real world, she’s already proven she’s anything but average.

“Is there something like this in the Cygnus building?” she asks.

“Not exactly,” I say. “Everything there is more like logging into a computer and reading files from your R&D department. So there’s an equivalent. It just looks like a cyberpunk wireframe 3D image with that beepy computer text effect.”

She nods. “You know what this is for, right?”

“Well, Graydon answers some questions and helps you learn how to run your territory and this fits in the lore of the local—”

“No. That’s not what I mean.” Spyce looks at me. “This is the key to finding all the other pieces of the armor. Without it, you’d be wandering aimlessly for who knows how long until you got it all. But now, if we wanted to get Hunter’s boots for example, we know exactly where to spend our time looking.”

I hadn’t thought of that. When you consider how many expansion worlds there are and how big each of those worlds can be… she’s right. You could take forever trying to hunt down the pieces. I pause to look at the armor again, trying to identify what realm each piece might belong to.

Spyce interrupts my search as she finishes making her way around the statue. “What about the sword?”

“Graydon told me there were six pieces of armor. The sword isn’t one of them.”

“That’s weird. Seems more important than, say, a ring. Oh, well. Are we going after that guy in Hagz or aren’t we? The one with the fire pants?”

“That was something we were going to do?”

“Dirk, you may not care about what happens when the set is completed, but I do. I want to see what happens. And if someone is trying to kill me to take my belt, yeah, I want to go after anyone else who might have a piece of the armor and see what they know—and if they need to be, shall we say, repaid for their actions.”

“See what happens?” I repeat, unsure of what she means.

“At the end of this quest,” she explains.

“You think this is a quest? Because I haven’t gotten any of the usual prompts, even from Graydon. Find the armor, get the reward, hold onto it if you can.”

“You’re talking about Dawnshire.” She leans closer and smiles. “It’s got to be more than that. Everything is a quest. Especially when armor is involved.”

* * *

I check my email after logging off. Any thoughts of Spyce and the player killer are pushed from my mind at the sight of a new communication from King’s Boost. It’s a gentle reminder that I have yet to post my first video since becoming a sponsor.

Oh, crap.

I don’t want to get booted from the program before I even get started. That would suck. It’s my own fault though. I’ve been avoiding doing the stream because I can’t call Brian to help me out. Well, I guess technically I could, but it would make me a crappy friend, especially after all my big talk about how academics were more important.

So, I’m on my own. I do know the basics at least. Brian made sure of that before going radio silent. I start setting up and use the time to try and brainstorm an idea for the session. Nothing immediately comes to mind.

What can I say or do that will make people want to listen? There are so many streamers on the web that it feels like there isn’t much undiscovered King’s League real estate left to talk about. That’s not true, of course—Graydon’s set is proof enough of that. The Brownie quest that just dropped is another example. But I can’t talk about Graydon without putting a huge target on my back.

I rack my brain for something unique that I’ve discovered or done in the game. So many of my accomplishments are tied into Graydon, and as much as I hate to admit it, Salvatore. It was the drama with Pallydinator and then the fight with Salvatore that really pulled in the bulk of my followers.

It chafes knowing that Salvatore and the Dark Riders were responsible, however indirectly, for the success I’m enjoying now. I have a few fun moments planning out a stream bashing Salvatore. That dream dies a quick death. It’s not smart to antagonize him and no matter how much he deserves it. I’ll come across as a sore winner.

No thanks.

I continue to bang my head against the proverbial wall as terrible ideas circulate, the least of which was a romantic segment titled Love and Loot with Dirk Nelson. That particular rabbit hole took me to some terrible places and I now have sympathy for people who get writer’s block, not to mention a deeper understanding of why Jack went crazy at the Overlook Hotel.

“Come on, Dirk,” I mutter to myself. “All work and no play make Dirk an idiot. Just thinking of something!”

I stand up and start to pace, growing more frustrated by the second. If it’s this hard to come up with one idea, how am I going to keep this up for an extended period of time? I stalk from the living room to the kitchen and stop when I spot the horde of swag still piled on the counter.

My gaze lands on the poster. The dragon looks a little like the one I battled after coming out of the cave in Apheia and I wonder if that’s intentional. The person battling it looks to be fighting way outside their weight class if you’re going by size difference. I happen to know that’s true.

It’s a good memory. That was when I finally hit level 99. Even though I’d been playing on fumes and barely awake by the time the fight ended, I would remember that moment forever. Not many people were level 99. Less had fought a dragon, as evidenced by the lack of any reliable information on the internet.

I’m not naïve enough to think I’m the only one who found the cave. There had been at least one corpse in there with the baby dragon eggs. I guess no one wanted to give up the location before they had a chance to beat it like I had.

Like I had.

God, I’m such an idiot sometimes.

This is the perfect subject for a livestream. Rare lore and gameplay? This was exactly the kind of content subscribers wanted. The dragon eggs were all level 80, but that didn’t matter. It would give people a boost (haha, see what I did there?) to watch something new.

Not only that, but lower-level players like having fresh goals they could work toward. All I had to do was stream in first person so that people only saw what my character saw, instead of everything I could see.

The good news was that I already knew how to get there. The bad news is that it’s a long walk, even if I use a spirit mount. I think it over and decide to draw people in with a planned event. I set up the livestream and title it How to Grind Level 80 Dragon Eggs and set the time for two hours from now.

That gives me time to adjust my settings and make sure I have a plan once I get there. Smiling, I settle in. Things are looking up.

7

I’m at the gym and it’s nearly empty. Even Bob, the old man usually at the front desk, is gone. His replacement is a young college girl. When I came in she was on her phone and wearing earbuds. Didn’t even check my membership or even look up while I lingered at the desk. So, I went on inside. It’s all a stark contrast to the last time I was here. But I do need to be here. I’ve been burning the candle on both ends for too long and I’ve been ignoring my health. That’ll catch up to me if I let it.

The live stream had gone well. I’d only stuttered a few times and earned a decent amount of likes and a few thousand more viewers. It felt good to have done it on my own. I’m actually looking forward to my next stream.

I start off doing dumbbell curls and am just about through my second set when my phone vibrates, an angry bee buzzing down on the foam floor mats. It’s a King’s League notification so I put the weights down and pick the phone up. Stoneburner wants to chat.

“Hey, what’s up?” I say, sounding a bit more winded than I expected to.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” says Stoneburner—or Daniel, I guess I should call him, since we’re not in the game right now. He’s not using his roleplaying voice, either. So, yeah. Daniel. “I have some bad news about that image.”

“What’s wrong?” I sit down on the bench beside me. My voice is regulating, my breath returning. I haven’t been working out like I used to, so my strength and my wind has declined.

“Well,” says Stoneburner. “I thought with the right equipment my wife could enhance the image, but apparently that’s not quite how it works.”

“Well, that’s no problem,” I say, easing myself off the bench. The mirror in front of me shows an empty gym. There’s only me and four other guys, each in our own corner of the facility. Still, I should keep my voice down. “You tried and I appreciate it.”

“It’s not all bad news,” Stoneburner says, his voice perking up. “I found the full video on the message boards Spyce mentioned and did a frame by frame until I found the best one. I’ll send it to you now.”

My phone dings, informing me I’ve received an IM. “Got it.”

“Have a look. I’ll wait.”

I open the file and see the image from before, this time with far more detail. The hooded figure’s face is still covered, so it’s hard to make out his eyes or face, but there is something there. The semblance of features if not sharp detail. Much better than before.

I zoom in on the hood and, sure enough, there are two points under the cloth. Exactly where the ears should be. “How closely have you looked at this?”

“Enough that I know the breeches are identical to the set we saw on the statue. I called you as soon as I had something solid.”

“Check out the hood. Magnify it.”

There’s a short pause before Stoneburner responds again. “Well now, would you look at that.”

“Yeah. Definitely not playing a human.”

The ears are pointed and tall, far bigger in proportion to what you’d expect of his head, but also too narrow to be anything except—

“That’s an elf,” Stoneburner says, beating me to it.

“Exactly what I was thinking. Might help us when we track him down.”

“Are you planning to leave for Hagz soon?”

“I’ll have to talk to Spyce about the exact time of departure, but yeah. We’ll need to prep ourselves. That region is higher level and I haven’t spent much time there. I don’t know the terrain.”

“It’s not too difficult,” Stoneburner says.

“You know it?”

“I’ve been spending some time watching live streams of the region. As my crafting skills have grown, I’ve needed to look for higher level components for certain recipes that can’t be found where we are. The livestreams led me down a rabbit hole and I got pretty interested in the whole region. I’m not an expert, but I know it enough to get by.”

“That’s great. I need you to tell me everything you know about it, then, starting with the city in this picture.”

“As you command, friend Dirk,” Daniel says, switching to his Stoneburner persona. “I shall bequeath you with all the knowledge I can to assist you on your journey.”

I laugh. “Dude. I’m kind of glad you’re role playing again. Hearing you as Daniel was weirding me out.”

Stoneburner laughs. “I shall remember this for the future, Friend Dirk.”

“Listen,” I say. “I think you need to come along for this one.”

“M-Me? But I’m not—I mean, forgive me—I do not possess the necessary skills.”

The door to the gym opens and wouldn’t you know it, McNasty walks inside. He locks eyes with me almost immediately. Crap.

“Hey, I gotta go. Let’s talk about this in an hour when I’m back at the apartment. Get a hold of Spyce and ask her to meet us if she can.”

“I shall make it so,” he exclaims. He sounds excited. I guess it’s been a while since we adventured together. “Until we speak again, friend Dirk.”

I turn off my phone just as McNasty reaches me, because of course the first thing he wants to do is come and chat. This sucks.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite college dropout,” McNasty says, a smug smile plastered to his chump face. “Haven’t seen you in here for a while. Not as cut… a little chub-chub forming under your chin. Looking pretty gross, Nelson.”

“Guess I got busy.”

“Busy? Sounds like you gave up. I guess I can’t blame you. It takes dedication to look this good.” He points to himself and laughs at his own joke. “Oh, before I forget, you know my dad bought this gym, right? He also bought the building next door.”

Great. Now I’m expecting to be banned from the premises. This really sucks. McNasty had said something about his dad buying the gym and converting it into a Shake Shack, but I didn’t think he was serious. If this is true, I’ll have to find a new place. I can’t stand the idea of my—well, Brian’s—membership going to this dude’s trust fund.

Note to self. Buy your own gym membership.

“What happened to Bob?” I ask him.

“The old geezer who used to own the place? Worked at the front desk? We fired him as soon as he signed his name to the papers” He laughs like it’s the most hilarious thing in the world. “Nothing personal, though. Dad says you need a hot girl to pull people in.”

He motions his head toward the new receptionist. She’s twirling her hair and still staring at her phone. “You like her? I picked her out from the applications. Not bad, huh? Don’t drool too hard, she doesn’t go for fat asses.”

The idea of Bob losing his job pisses me off more than the insults. I kind of deserve those for letting myself go a bit. I quickly suppress the anger I’m feeling. I need to get out of here before I say or do something I’ll regret.

“Well, work calls,” I mutter, not bothering to acknowledge his last statement.

“Work? You got a job? I thought you were sitting at home on your fat ass playing video games. Barely scraping by.”

“Something like that. Call it digital resource management.”

“Resource management. Sure.”

I put my weights away. He’s only trying to goad me into a confrontation. As I walk past him, he steps aside and says, “One thing we both know. Whatever you’re doing, it doesn’t require a degree, does it?”

I stop and take in a deep breath.

He laughs. “You know, Dirk, I could probably get you a job. We gotta get someone to hand out towels and clean the shitters. You just gotta promise to keep away from the front desk. Don’t want to scare off the new girl—or any potential customers.”

I don’t take the bait. “Hard pass from me, but congrats to your dad. Hope he can bring some new life into this gym.” I look around at the only other guys here. “It sure could use it. Wasn’t he planning to convert this into a Shake Shack anyway? What happened?”

“You’d love that, huh? Nah. We decided it was more profitable to keep this as a gym.”

“Pops couldn’t afford to change it, huh?” I casually remark. “Well, it’s a tough economy for everyone.”

He glares at me now and I’m pretty sure he wants to hit me. And for all my caution, I want it, too. It would be a lie to say that I haven’t fantasized about beating this idiot’s face in on multiple occasions. Sure, it might not be a classy thing to admit, but I don’t care. I’m only human.

Then again, I’m not exactly in the same physical condition I was the last time we had a show down. I’m what they experts call skinny-fat right now. He might kick my ass.

Before McNasty has a chance to do anything stupid, I walk past him, “See you around.”

“Like hell. Your membership is cancelled.”

“Haven’t paid dues in months,” I say and head toward the exit.

The girl at the desk says, “Thanks for coming by today!”

“Thanks, you too,” I say.

Good one, Dirk.

But maybe that can be excused. I was amped up over the potential for a conflict. It’s a wonder I kept my voice even. My heart is pounding and I feel a pain in my hand. I was clenching it so hard that my nails dug into my palm.

“Hey!” yells McNasty as I open the door to leave. “You’re a piece of shit, you know that?”

It takes everything in me not to turn around, and instead I let the door close behind me as I step out into the parking lot. A car moves by and pulls the hot air with it, brushing over me.

Guess I need to find a new place to work out. Maybe one of those home gyms I hear so much about.

* * *

As soon as I log in, a message comes in from Stoneburner.

“Welcome back!” it reads. “Lady Spyce and I are waiting for you in the square, near Andrade’s Inn.”

“On my way,” I message back.

The city is busy today as I walk from the temple to the nearest path. As I near the square, something catches my eye. Two brownies are standing near the inn. I recognize them immediately.

It’s little Bowie and Meg.

I walk close enough to trigger the brownies’ response but nothing happens.

It seems they won’t be available until I unlock them with Nogg. I make a mental note to do that later. The two brownies made promises of helping me with certain tasks, but it makes sense they’d only respond to Nogg’s commands, since he’s the one who did the quest. Meg also said she wouldn’t wait around forever, so I need to do that sooner than later.

Just not right now with Spyce waiting for me.

Without another word, I turn and head straight into the square. Spyce is sitting at the same bench as before, while Stoneburner stands like he’s guarding something. Which makes sense, given he’s roleplaying a Paladin.

“Sorry to keep you both waiting,” I tell them, reaching the central fountain.

Spyce looks up at me. “Stone said you had something.”

“Our target is an elf, we think.” I sit on the carved stone surrounding the fountain. It’s a beautiful display, only recently added by the genie. From what I’m told, it’s still in the process of being built, but it already looks pristine. Three streams of water jet out from the pool, crossing over one another seamlessly. Between them rests a small slab pedestal, but there’s nothing on it. I wonder if Smog will place a statue there or if it’s meant for something else.

“That’s a good start. I take it your wife was able to enhance the image?” she asks, looking at Stoneburner.

“Nay.”

“All that matters is we have a better look at the guy in the picture,” trying to move things along. “He’s an elf, he’s got flaming breaches, but we don’t know much more than that. For now, I think we just need to come up with a plan of attack.”

“Why don’t we just head to the city?” she asks. “Look for him straight away and hope that he’s still close by. I’ve hunted down more than my share of players, and that’s how I’d begin. Scene of the crime.”

I nod. “Yeah, but we want to make sure we’re prepared.”

“Fine, then let’s get our equipment and bring some gold with us. Or did you have something else in mind?”

“I do, actually.” I cast a sideways glance at Stoneburner, who continues to wait patiently for me to say what he already knows. “We need backup on this one. Stone knows the area better than either of us and he’s a tank. You and I can handle ourselves, but we’re primarily damage dealers.”

“You want to bring the blacksmith?” She looks at Stoneburner. “No offense, but what’s your level?”

“Twenty, my lady.”

“Dirk,” she says, turning back around to look at me. “You’re level 99. A level 20 warrior isn’t going to do anything for this mission except be a liability. Someone you’ll have to save when the heavy damage gets dealt.”

“Maybe, but—”

“The lady does have a fair point,” Stoneburner remarks. “What benefit would I be able to provide the two of you?”

“Plenty, so long as we get you leveled.”

“Leveled?” repeats Spyce. “That’s what you want to do before looking? To level him? Don’t you know how long that will take? The target will be long gone by then.”

I shake my head. “We don’t have to get him to 99. Just to 60 so he can survive the region. Stoneburner has been meaning to get out there for materials. He’s done a deep dive on it, too. Might know the layout better than both of us just from scrolling wikis.”

Spyce shakes her head. Not even slightly convinced. “We could learn it faster than it would take for him to level, just by walking around like tourists. And I do my own research and deep dives, thank you very much. Bounty hunter, remember?”

“There’s a shortcut,” I tell her. “We can give him our armor.”

Both of them pause. Their eyes go wide. That reaction is real, I remind myself. The headsets are showing their expressions from the real world.

“You… you want to give him the armor?” Spyce asks and then lowers her voice to a whisper. “The set armor? Dirk, I mean, I get he’s your friend, but—”

“I trust him,” I tell her. “Which means you can, too.”

She stares at me for a second. “No. It doesn’t.” Spyce looks at Stoneburner. “I’m sorry, but… I just can’t give you my belt like that. No offense, but we barely know each other.”

“You need not apologize, fair Spyce,” Stoneburner concedes, bowing as he says the words. “I am the one who should apologize to you. I did not know Friend Dirk would so suddenly spring an uncomfortable situation upon thee.”

Great. Now I’m feeling like I’m the uncouth one here. “Both of you, relax. Okay, fine, you don’t have to give up your belt. I was just thinking of how quickly it all might work together for a single character. But the reality is, Stoneburner only needs one piece to get an edge. The ring will give him a 500% skill advancement rate, which should help. We fight as a team. I’ll put the helmet on Nogg and then we’ll all share the XP earned. And that helmet can deliver some massive XP bonuses. It’s how I reached level 99 so quickly.”

“Nogg? Who’s that? And you’re seriously going to let someone else use your helmet?” She sounds shocked at the very idea of it. “From what I’ve seen, that’s the most broken-ass powerful piece of the entire set.”

“He’s a friend’s character. I’ve been leveling him in my spare time without it, but it’ll go a lot faster with it. He’s a wizard, which would be a good resource to have, don’t you think?”

“And where’s this friend of yours now? In real life.”

“In school, finishing his exams. He’ll be done in less than a week, which should be enough time to get both of them to level 60, if not higher. Then the four of us can head to Hagz and look for this elf. Remember, he’s got a piece of the armor, and considering what happened to you in 86-Neon, there’s no telling who else is after him.” I pause. “Or us.”

“I hear what you’re saying, but the longer we wait to go, the harder it’s going to be to find him. Aren’t you worried about losing this guy? A week is a long time.”

“I’d rather take that risk than rush in unprepared. We have to think this through, even if it means potentially losing him for now. He’s a player killer, and as a player killer, he’ll show up again somewhere. Either with a bounty on his head the next time he goes on a killing spree. We’ll get him eventually, but it isn’t wise for us to do anything alone or rashly. Not anymore.” I wave my hand around me at the town. “If we were both killed, someone would have almost all the armor. And I doubt Hunter would last long against someone like that. You’re here with us now, Spyce. We have resources and people. We need to use them.”

“Dirk speaks true,” Stoneburner says. “Dawnshire continues to grow and draw in adventurers and craftsmen from all walks of life and skill levels. I believe we may find ourselves additional companions among our ranks, should we choose to look.”

“If we’re building a proper group,” adds Spyce, “I suppose we’ll need a healer.”

I’m relieved to see that she’s shifting her thinking.

“Ah, yes!” Stone exclaims. “Someone to patch our wounds. As a paladin, I am somewhat skilled in the art, but am no master. An excellent idea.”

“Then it’s settled,” I say, hoping that the assertion drives us forward because I really feel like this is the only way we’ll be able to navigate what has to be coming our way. “We’ll get Stone and Nogg some levels. Prep the team and max out our gear, and then we’ll head to Hagz.”

Spyce holds up her hand. “Hold on. Who’s going to play Nogg? You or your friend?”

“Nogg? Oh, I’ll have to do it until he’s back from exams. Why?”

“If you do that, it’ll take longer to level him because Dirk won’t be there to dish out the big damage to high level mobs. Why don’t you box?”

“Box?” I ask, echoing the word. I’ve heard about boxing, but never done it. It’s when you play two characters at once, each on a separate account, but I’ve only ever seen that in non-VR games. “Can you do that in King’s League?”

She smirks. “Actually, if you’d asked that a few months ago, I would’ve said there was no way, but it just so happens that someone finally found a way to do it. For now, at least. I can send you the details if you want. It’s a program you run in the background and allows for you to switch between accounts.”

“A plugin?” I ask, thinking back to the email one I’d used before. “Is it legal?”

“It was submitted through the official approval process and accepted by the dev team. You can get it on the main site, for a fee. I’ve got a friend who uses it and she says it’s great. But you know how these things go. The approval was probably done by an AI and it could easily be pulled if the human devs decide they don’t like what it’s doing to the game.”

Well, if it’s available through the store, I should be safe. “Send me the details and I’ll get started tonight.” I nod toward Stoneburner. “Actually, I should probably ask if you’re okay with this.”

“Me?” Stoneburner responds, as though having an opinion on the matter hadn’t even occurred to him.

“Yeah, you. It’s your character, and I know you need to craft and sell gear so you can pay the bills. Can the NPCs handle the shop well enough while you’re gone? Are you willing, if it comes down to it, to spend the next few weeks running off with us on what might end up being a wild goose chase?”

The blacksmith doesn’t even hesitate, instead giving me a wide and warm smile. “I’ve come this far with you, have I not? You can count on my assistance, Dirk, to whatever end awaits us!”

“Dillon! You sonofabitch,” I say in my best Schwarzenegger accent as I take a step toward him, then reach out with my arm and mime grasping his hand in mine.

Stoneburner grins, pretending to arm wrestle, and says, “Make it easy on yourself, Dutch.”

“What’s wrong” I ask, slowly pushing his hand down. “The CIA got you pushing too many pencils?”

“What are you two talking about?” Spyce asks, tilting her head. “What about pencils?”

“It’s Predator. Don’t you watch movies?” I ask, looking back at Stone again. “If it bleeds, we can kill it.”

“Get to the chopper!” exclaims Stoneburner.

I smack his shoulder. “This man is a sexual tyrannosaurus!”

Spyce just shakes her head and frowns. “This may have been a mistake.”

8

The group agrees to meet with me a few hours after the plan is set, each with their own tasks to fulfill before reuniting. For me, I need to get Nogg ready to go, set him up on my computer, and order myself some Thai food.

Ordering the food takes only a few minutes, thanks to the delivery app on my phone. Nogg, on the other hand, is a little more complicated. In order to run King’s League on my PC, I have to install a pretty lengthy patch, which is going to take about twenty minutes. This is required because you can’t run two instances of the game on a single headset. I’ve been switching between my rig and Brian’s. So even with the plugin, I’m forced to run his account on my desktop.

I don’t plan to have to use Nogg nearly as much as Dirk while we’re grouped together, so the concession is probably fine.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I do wonder how much one of the newer VR kits would set me back. The better the headset, the more plugins I could install, including a better map system and lore bible, which is always useful for quests. None of that compares, of course, to the visual upgrades I’d get. And given my current funds, the upgrade wouldn’t set me back too far. This is a bit of a side quest, but looking on the official King’s League site gives me what I’m after. There’s a model called Inertia, which is used by some of the best players in the game, including Salvatore.

I scroll through the list of headsets on the website, each more expensive than the last. The first one starts at $1,999.99. But if I want one with visual fidelity prioritized, meaning the frame rate and resolution come first, I’m going to have to spend more. I find a model at just under four grand that nearly maxes them out, which is impressive, and falls within what I’m willing to spend.

The hit to my bank account won’t hurt as much as it would have a few short months ago. Thanks to Dawnshire and Cygnus Corp, I have a steady passive income coming in each week. It more than covers this.

And yeah, I could probably stretch and get the full body suit or even the immersion chair that supposedly simulates the feeling of a warm summer day, but those cost nearly $10,000.00 each (20k combined), and I just don’t need either of them.

In fairness, I don’t need the Inertia model either, but if all my income suddenly stops, I won’t be hurting on account of the 4K. Twenty K on the other hand…

Add to cart. Complete checkout. Delivery scheduled for tomorrow. Done. I get back on my main quest and load both instances of the game. One to my existing headset; the other to my monitor.

Dirk shows up first using the visor. The ranger is standing in the middle of Dawnshire, wearing his dull black helmet. No one is around yet because he’s not actually loaded into the game. This is just the start-up screen. I quickly click “BEGIN” and then flip up the headset so I can see to get Nogg into position.

This also means I have to use a different microphone to communicate, since all the audio coming out of my headset will be related to Dirk, not Nogg.

Nogg appears inside the inn, right in front of the main desk.

“Whoa there,” says a familiar voice. It’s El_Idolo, sitting in a chair with a book in his hand. “Nogg?”

I lean closer to the built-in microphone inside my desktop computer and clear my throat. “Sorry about that,” I tell him, trying to sound clear, but probably coming off more awkward than intended.

“Haven’t seen you in a little while. How you been, amigo?”

I decide to come clean, since Nogg will be back to the game fairly soon and I don’t plan to do much freeplay with this character again, given recent events. “Sorry to disappoint, Idolo. This is Dirk, playing as Nogg.”

“Dirk?” he repeats in his heavy Spanish accent, clearly surprised. “Something happen to Nogg?”

“Oh, he’s fine. Just in school right now and trying to pass his exams. I’m playing his character to help him level while he’s gone.”

“Aw, that’s nice of you. He know you’re doing that for him?”

“Nope. It’s a surprise for when he gets back. A reward for passing his classes. Of course, if he flunks, I’ll just kill Nogg and make him watch,” I joke.

His eyes light up and he snickers. “Oh, man, you’re one hell of a friend, Dirk! Say, how about I enroll in a class and you do the same for me, eh?”

I laugh, walking to the front door. “Show me the course lists and we’ll talk. In the meantime, here’s the money for Nogg’s room. Looks like it’s due today.”

Nogg could, of course, stay in the temple for free. That he doesn’t shows how willing he is to support the growth happening in Dawnshire. Pretty cool of him and so as long as I’m playing his character, I’ll keep it going.

I open a trade window and select the option to pay for lodging. The action starts a new animation. My avatar reaches into my pocket and pulls out a gold coin, then tosses it to him. The money twirls in the air, glimmering in the light before El_Idolo catches it in a quick, smooth grab. Cool.

“Hey, by the way, how close are you to expanding?” I ask.

“I already expanded once. Added a second floor and better walls. I asked Stoneburner if he knew what would happen next, but he couldn’t tell me. I’m excited to find out.”

“Me too. Let me know what happens when you get there. We can put Smog on helping the upgrade finish faster.”

As I make my way into the yard, I notice that nearby buildings that had once been ruined structures are now restored and bustling with activity. More residents are moving in every day. El_Idolo’s inn used to be the farthest establishment from the Temple, but now there are at least a dozen other buildings beyond it. In this direction, anyway.

“Still got a ways to go,” I remind myself.

It will take time to fully restore and upgrade this city, but once we get there, who knows what we’ll be capable of? It’s still a mystery what the developers meant for this place when they created it, but I certainly plan to find out.

Dirk is already at the Temple, so that’s where I head with Nogg. As I near, Spyce and Stoneburner spot me and go from sitting on the steps to standing. There’s someone else with them. A caster, by the look of it, dressed in white robes. She’s got blonde hair and pale skin, and barely reaches Stoneburner’s shoulders. The white robes are silken and she carries a thin, white staff with golden decorative symbols that hang from the tip.

The closer I get, the more detail I can make out. The player must have put a lot of time into her avatar’s appearance because the automatic settings are a lot more middle of the road. This girl has an almost ethereal visage. Her nose is small and pert, centered symmetrically on her avatar’s face. Bright eyes of amethyst turn on me when Stoneburner nods in my direction.

“Looks like we have a new friend,” I say, approaching the group, but come to a full stop in front of the newcomer. Her username is Rose Cloudborn. “Hey there. Give me just a second.”

I switch to the headset as soon as I say the words, muting the mic on the computer. I’m Dirk again, but I’m standing in the middle of the Temple. It only takes me a few seconds to reach the rest of the group, but this time I approach them from the opposite direction as Nogg.

“Sorry about that,” I announce, pulling everyone’s attention and causing them to turn around. “All set. Nice to meet you, Rose.”

“Hiya! I’m a cleric. Thanks for having me.”

Ah, a cleric. I already knew the girl was a healer just based on her appearance, but that subclass is especially known for the gift. Since I don’t usually play with a group my exposure to casters usually centers around Nogg who for sure doesn’t do any healing. Although I should probably look to see if I can get him a Regeneration spell somewhere.

“This is Rose,” explains Stoneburner. “She moved into Dawnshire a little over a week ago and has been going off with our lower level guildies.”

Since Dirk is wearing Graydon’s Sight, I have the luxury of checking out her levels and abilities. She’s level 21, which puts her in line with Stoneburner and Nogg. She’s put a decent amount of attribute points into Stamina—34—giving her 229 HP. So she won’t get into too much trouble from any surprise hits. What’s interesting is that she’s put so many attribute points into Intelligence.

Unlike wizards, warlocks, and most other spell casters, Clerics draw their mana from their Charisma. They get a 5 mana for each point they dump into Charisma. Wizards get 10, meaning their potential for spellcasting is higher, but clerics get a +2 to HP each time they put an attribute point into Stamina, making them much more hardy. A high level cleric can both heal and deal a ton of damage with melee weapons.

Anyway, Intelligence doesn’t play a big role in building a Cleric. I’m not aware of any cleric spells that have an INT requirement, though it’s possible she’s trying to get access to a wizard’s spell. Still, if I were her, I’d have been dumping most of my attribute points into Stamina, Strength, and Charisma. She’s spread her points around quite a bit, and as a result, she’s not as adept as she might be for her level.

Oh, well. That’s a conversation for another time. For now, I want to know a bit about her background.

“Who brought you in?” I ask. “To the guild, I mean.”

It’s not just that I’m interested in getting to know our possible new teammate. If Rose is going to join us, I’ll have to fill her in on Graydon's armor set. That requires trust, but, unfortunately, also time we don’t have.

“Wu-Tanis,” she explains. “He helped me on a quest and invited me. I was in another guild, but barely anyone played so it was mostly just me.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” she nods eagerly. “I used to play all the time, mostly just to chat with my cousin, but then I had to stop for, like, six months. When I came back, the guild we were in had mostly been abandoned.”

“Where’s your cousin now?” I ask, wondering if this is going to turn into a thing where the party grows and grows. I really want to keep it tight and small.

“He left Vanilla to play in Seas of Blood, actually. I was going to join him, but I don’t really like all the naval strategy.”

She has a timid voice, sounding almost unsure of what she is saying and I can’t help but think of her as innocent. Though, she doesn’t sound juvenile. “Hey. Your cousin’s loss is our gain. You ready to get fast-tracked to the top?”

“Y-Yeah!” she exclaims. “I couldn’t believe it when Stoneburner told me. He said I could expect to level up at an accelerated pace.” Now she gets cautious. “We’re not going to do anything that might get us banned, are we?”

I laugh and assure her that we are honorable players and wouldn’t do anything like that. Her excitement and her concern for playing with integrity (or at least avoiding a ban) seals the deal for me and I decide to tell her about the Graydon armor. The others stay quiet while I go over the basics. To keep things simple, I don’t mention Salvatore. She may put it together later, but it’s not really important information for what we’re about to do.

“Oh wow,” she says when I’ve finished, the awe clear in her voice. “That’s a really big deal! And kind of a secret, I take it? I mean, if everyone knew, you’d be fighting off players who want your set pieces all the time.”

“Exactly,” I told her. “So please don’t mention it to anyone outside of this group. We don’t want anyone accidentally leaking the info and giving Fire Pants a heads up.”

She mimes zipping her lips and throwing away the imaginary key. “Seriously, though. Thanks for trusting me. I won’t let you down.”

“Fair Rose, you’ve made yourself available to all who needed you,” says Stoneburner. “Be they weak or strong, your spells have been a great reprieve to your guildmates. Now, we call upon you once more to stand with us against the hordes of darkness.” He thrusts his fist against his chest in a standard paladin salute. “The gods will favor us this day with you by our side!”

“Now you’ve got him going,” Spyce says, finally joining the conversation and taking a step away from him. She walks closer and looks up at me. “So, where to? I’m not familiar with the lay of the land around here. So unless you want to visit 86-Neon again—”

“No thanks,” I say.

She smiles. “Got any ideas?”

I nod. “I do. Since Stoneburner and Nogg are near the same level, I figured we could go to the Ruins of the King. Anyone ever been?”

“I have,” says Rose. “Only once, though.”

“How did it go?” asks Spyce, looking at her.

“Um… well, half of us died, so there’s that.” She lowers her head. “My mana couldn’t keep up with the heals needed.”

“I’m sure you did fine,” I tell her. “Everyone got all their equipment ready? Stocked on potions? Alright, good. Let’s create a party and head out. Should take us about ten minutes on the road to get there. Avoid fights along the way unless they’re quick. The XP of what’s out here isn’t going to be all that great even with modifiers. Let’s make as much time as we can to grind in the temple.”

“What’s the plan when we get inside this place?” asks Spyce once she’s joined our newly formed party. I can hear typing in the background. She’s likely already looking up the spot on a wiki.

“Burner will lead the way. We’ll act as the DPS support. Rose will provide heals. Same as any other dungeon group.”

“Why don’t the two of us just kill the entire zone ourselves while the others sit back and collect experience?”

“Because then they won’t learn anything,” I tell her. “We’re leveling them so they can come with us, right?”

“Sure.”

“Well, they can’t do much if they don’t know how to play their characters. Stoneburner is a Paladin. He needs to understand every aspect of his class, especially when it’s safe. Now’s the time to make those mistakes...not later when we’re surrounded by two dozen mobs or a guild of experienced player killers and about to die.”

She takes that in, pausing only briefly, and then nods. “Alright. This will take longer than I thought, but the logic makes sense. Although Nog’s owner is going to be lacking in practical experience.”

I smile. “He has plenty of experience. He just chooses to do stuff that’ll get himself killed. Now that he’s got something to live for, I’m sure he’ll be fine when the time comes. Now, give me just a second.”

With everyone gathered, I remove the headset and switch to Nogg on the monitor, but only for a moment so I can turn on the Auto-Follow feature. Nogg twitches, fixing himself on his new target: Rose.

“Ready,” I tell the group after securing my headset again. “Nogg will stay near the healer while the rest of us handle the damage.”

“What about the helmet?” asks Spyce.

“I’ll do the trade when we’re inside the dungeon. For now, let’s focus on getting there.”

Stoneburner runs to the front of the ground and pulls out his sword, raising it high in the air toward the gate of Dawnshire. “Onward!” he declares in a loud voice. “Adventure awaits! And beware to all who are evil and stand in our path, for we are on a noble quest of glory!”

“And we’d better hurry,” I say, heading down the stairs behind him. “We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

9

We’re on our way out of the city when something approaches us from behind. “Adventurer! Wait!” exclaims Hairy Meg. She’s waving and running to catch up.

“What is that?” asks Spyce.

“An NPC Nogg saved the other day,” I answer.

The little Brownie stops right in front of us, staring up at Nogg with a wide eyed expression. “You sure took your sweet time, didn’t you? Talk about making a lady wait! Anyway, we’re here to help you, just as we promised. What shall we do?”

“Well, what can you do to help?” I ask, staring down at her.

“Nothing for you,” she replies, turning her nose up at me.

“Oh, right,” I mutter. “Everyone hold on while I handle this. Gotta interact with her as Nogg.”

“More delays,” says Spyce, a hint of annoyance in the comment.

I don’t bother wasting any more time by answering and instead switch to the other character, taking control of Nogg again.

“How is this supposed to work?” I ask after reactivating the mic.

“Let me come with you on your travels. As I said before, I can help carry your burdens, and I can provide extra support. My boy will stay here and help with your storefront if you have one.” She pauses. “It doesn’t seem like you do, though. That’s no matter. He will provide you with enhancements upon your return.”

Brian hadn’t invested any time in crafting and he had no interest in running his own shop. He was too busy just goofing in the game or helping me with the streams. He also acted as the face of Dawnshire, as evident by the number of players who have been saying hello to him as we move through the town. So whatever help the Brownies can offer will be especially useful to him.

“Friend Nogg, am I to understand that you saved these creatures in your recent travels? Lo, what a kind soul you have. You have the caring heart of the paladin.” Stoneburner pauses to consider. “Wait. These are not your slaves, are they?”

“No. They followed me home, that’s all.” I look back at Meg. “Can I reassign you to other players?”

Meg gasps. “Don’t be ridiculous! We are here of our own accord to assist you, not to be used as gifts or currency to others.”

“Okay, okay. No offense. So you’ll only follow me.”

“That’s right. Only Nogg, the one who saved my dearest child, and no one else.”

Interesting. So the Brownies can’t work for anyone but Nogg. I have a feeling that Bowie, the son, would be most useful working in a shop. Spyce will want to kill me if I delay us again in setting that up. Or she’ll just go off on her own. Either way, not how I want things to go.

Hold on a second. I gave Nogg authority over Dawnshire, which means he should have the same stewardship that I do as Dirk. Or that Stoneburner has. Maybe I just need to say the question differently.

“Bowie,” Nogg continues. “Can you help at Stoneburner’s forge?”

“If it pleases you,” says Bowie.

“It does,” I reply.

“Shall I go there now and begin work?”

“Not yet,” I say, wanting to test if it will work at the other shops in Dawnshire. I mention the tailor, Andrade’s and a few others.

“Yes, if it pleases you,” the Brownie answers to each question.

This is good. A free NPC to help out whichever shop needs it. I have one last question. “What benefits do you provide the place you work at?”

“His skills are strong,” answers Hairy Meg, full of pride. “He will enhance whatever shop he works at. You just wait and see!”

Bowie nods enthusiastically. “I can provide special bonuses to equipment and items. The longer I work, the better I will understand the trade and the greater my help will be. In time, I might be able to teach you how to do it yourself.”

I’m not really sure what that means and I don’t have time to sit around and find out. I can see Spyce crossing her arms and restlessly tapping her foot as she waits. Still, this helps Dawnshire, which I’m thrilled to hear. Then, to my surprise, a new prompt appears.

Please select Bowie’s first task:

- Help with shops at Dawnshire [Select shop]

- Enhance party stats

Excited, I choose to enhance our stats.

“As you wish,” says Bowie. He waves his hand and a shower of magic sparks washes over us. My stats go up by +1 each, and a buff appears, set to last for 12 hours.

“Nice,” says Spyce, her opinion of the NPCs immediately changed. “Useful little thing after all.”

The prompt returns, this time with the stats option greyed out. When I choose the help with shops option, a sub list of all available shops in Dawnshire appears. I immediately choose the forge in hopes it will help Stoneburner.

“I will help find tomes and anything that will advance your mastery and the forge, as requested.” Bowie gives me a salute and then starts off toward the forge, a small dust cloud forming behind him as he kicks it into a full sprint.

Meg is still there, presumably ready to ride with us as the resident pet. “Guess that means there’s six of us,” I tell the others, then quickly switch back to Dirk.

* * *

The Ruins of the King stands in the middle of a desert, half buried in a stretch of sand that goes on in every direction for miles. It’s a good mid-level dungeon, but it requires a balanced group to traverse. Some of our guildmates have taken to soloing in the dunes nearby, killing snakes and scorpions for materials and steady experience. Few have gone inside and lived to see the sun’s scorching light again.

We find the sands by following a recently built path in the forests. It’s made of dirt, an easy thing to construct if you have the right skills and materials. Sure, a storm can break it up from time to time but having something here to guide people is useful. Not only do paths show you where to go, they also provide certain safety bonuses, including increased health regeneration and a lower chance of being attacked by monsters. Of course, players can still present a problem and those who like to pray on others are often drawn to paths. There are ways to help with that, too. The better the path or road, the greater the bonuses. These range from dirt trails to full stone streets reminiscent of ancient Rome. In fact, many of the existing paths around King’s League were originally crafted by beta players and early adopters, much of which is still standing to this day. When you develop a nice enough path, it will end up patrolled by guards, who in King’s League are more than capable of taking down higher level players unless they’ve set up a specific plan to deal with them first.

When I first asked Stoneburner to take on the heavy responsibility of managing the city, he got to work on a number of tasks. One of them was to construct nearby paths and roads to help guide our lower level trainees back to Dawnshire’s walls with relative ease. He did his best, funneling resources into creating full roads that led to other major cities, but he even went a step further and had crafters work on others like the one we are taking now.

There’s still so much we need to do with Dawnshire but seeing things like this forest path is a good reminder of how far we’ve come. I remember when it was nothing but ruins. A dangerous and desolate place that only saw in game vitality when it filled for unofficial PVP tournaments. That feels like ancient history to me now. Maybe sometime soon this stretch of dirt will be upgraded to stone.

As we reach the desert, the sun hangs high above our heads. I’ve been this way before, well after I surpassed the suggested level requirement for the dungeon. Dirk was level 99 and I wanted to see the inside of the ruins, so I ran in there with my metaphorical guns blazing, killing everything I encountered. There were a few challenging moments since I was clearing the dungeon solo but nothing posed a serious threat. I made all the way to the end but missed out on a few things that prevented me from actually completing the dungeon to 100%.

Unfortunately, the final door won’t open unless you’re in the appropriate level range, so I couldn’t check out the boss. Sort of a way to keep higher level players from raiding the dungeon and preventing the lower levels from getting any spoils. Not all dungeons are like this, but I guess the devs found it enough of a concern to put a cap like that on at least some.

Being above the suggested max level also prevents any major loot drops, so you’re out of luck on treasure chests and special prizes, although you can still pick up the little things like goblin teeth or wolf hides. I wonder how much more we’ll see of things like that as more characters reach and maintain the higher levels.

Thankfully, the devs instituted a workaround after players complained that it prevented friends with different levels from playing together. High level players can accept a prompt entering the dungeon to play as a Mentor. Our level will “drop” to the average of the party members who are already within the recommended level range. Our attributes, health, and mana will all be temporarily scaled down but our skills and subskills will remain the same. So while we will look like we're the same as them, we will actually be significantly more powerful than a normal player at their level. Dirk will still have his Sneak abilities maxed and be a master archer. Spyce will be more than capable of dishing out vicious damage through her Assassin skills.

We just have to remember that we can’t take the licking we’ve grown accustomed to if something starts dealing out damage to us.

After passing over several tall dunes, we come upon a halfling who’s battling it out with a Desert Ostrich. The creature is twice the size of a normal ostrich, both in height and girth and looks gigantic going up against the halfling who is just barely a meter tall. The bird snaps its long head at the halfling, missing each time as the little fighter stabs at it with his dagger.

“Looks like we aren’t the only people out here today,” says Spyce.

“Aw,” says Rose. “Look at him go! You can do it, little guy!”

The halfling, who is dressed in full plate armor, leaps over the ostrich’s head and brings the full force of the dagger down on it, sticking the knife straight through the skull in one fell swoop.

Damn.

The ostrich collapses, its wet tongue hanging out and collecting sand crystals. Its big, grapefruit-sized eyes roll back.

“Not bad,” says Spyce.

“A fine kill, sir!” exclaims Stoneburner, saluting the stranger.

The halfling pulls his blade free from the ostrich’s bone, then places it back in his sheath before turning to us. He bows to Stoneburner respectfully before running off in the opposite direction, toward the dungeon.

“Not a talkative fellow,” the paladin remarks.

“Probably just thinking about what might happen if we decided to jump him,” I tell the others. “Let’s follow his lead. We’re burning daylight.”

The dunes roll with the wind, reflecting the hot yellow sun as it glides across the sky. There are no clouds here, which is a stark contrast to both Dawnshire and the neighboring woods that gradually thin out into the desert. We leave footprints in our wake, but in a matter of seconds they fill back in, giving little indication that we were ever really here.

The ruins are ahead, stone monuments from ancient civilizations whose stories have been lost to time. When I was here last, I saw scribblings inside the tombs beneath the surface that referenced a great monster with hundreds of eyes. Could that have been the thing responsible for wiping out the people here? Some players on the forums have come to the conclusion that it’s just a nod toward a long dead science fiction author. That would be cool, but a playable boss would be even better.

My head swims with possible storylines as I make my way through the sand toward the buried entryway.

“Over there,” announces Stoneburner, pointing at a series of pillars that lead directly to the opening.

We pass between the first two sets when something leaps out at us. It’s a man wearing stained and fouled rags, identified as a Lost Vagrant. He’s holding a scimitar and has gray eyes.

“Gimme your money!” He rasps through cracked and yellow teeth. “Gimme your water!”

He’s closest to Rose and goes straight for her, swinging the blade in his hand wildly and with little precision, but it’s enough to be dangerous. The Vagrant is level 22, high enough to do some serious damage, especially to a healer.

Rose panics and raises her staff to block the sword. The metal hits the wood and knocks her back. She falls into the sand and screams, probably more out of surprise than anything.

Before Stoneburner or I have a chance to act, Spyce swoops behind and buries a knife into the Vagrant’s neck, killing him in a single motion. He collapses into the sand immediately.

“You… water… bastard…”

Stoneburner looks to me and says, “In real life, he wouldn’t be talking.”

I stare at him for a beat, wondering if he somehow knows that from personal experience. Note to self: Stoneburner might be a serial killer. Or a Green Beret. Further investigation is needed before ever having dinner together.

Spyce ignores the comment and the body and goes straight for Rose. “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yes, I’m so sorry!” the girl exclaims. “I didn’t expect—he took me by surprise.”

“You have to stay on your guard out here,” Spyce says. “It looks like you took some damage.”

Being in the same party now, we can see each other’s health bars, although I’m the only one who can see the exact number. For the others, they see a percentage. Rose’s health shows she’s at 80%.

It’s just a slight dip. Nothing to be concerned about. “I can heal it. Just a second,” Rose says and begins to cast a brief spell. The HP goes up instantly, refilling to max. “There we are.”

“Rose, why don’t you stay between me, Stoneburner, and Spyce,” I say, bending down to loot the Vagrant. He’s got a rusty scimitar, which isn’t worth much, along with a few pieces of gold and some bread. I take it all, except the sword, and stand back up. “Since Nogg is following you, we need to keep you in the center of the group anyway.”

“Right,” she tells me, and quickly repositions herself between the three of us.

“I also must apologize,” says Stoneburner, bowing to Rose. “I should have been more observant. It will not happen again.”

“Alright, let’s not get into all that,” Spyce tells him, moving forward. She points ahead of us at the opening to the ruins. “We’ve got to keep going.”

Without a word, Stoneburner continues walking, leading the party to the entryway. There is no door here. No means of blocking our path. The danger below is enough to dissuade anyone from exploring on their own.

While older MMORPGs required multiple servers for players to choose from, King’s League only has a single world that everyone shares. This means that if you’re standing in, for example, Mellidew Forest, then you will appear to everyone who crosses through that area. There is only one Mellidew Forest at any given time. The only exception to this is the Golden version of the game, which has recreated Vanilla in nearly every way, minus the punishing difficulty.

Researchers have suggested that the entirety of the Vanilla game is so large that you could theoretically fit California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada inside of it. That’s to say nothing of the other King’s League games, such as Seas of Blood or 86-Neon, but combining them all would probably get you something close to the continental United States.

And yet, despite being the largest video game ever created, you can still find yourself alone in the middle of a desert.

Except for the occasional halfling, of course.

That’s not to say that some areas aren’t overpopulated. The River Market is a fine example of that. But out here in the middle of nowhere? That’s another story.

Before heading inside, I open a trade window with Nogg, offering him Graydon’s Helmet. Once I’m in control of him again, I accept the trade and equip the armor. Nogg’s goofy head is now adorned by a platinum circlet. Graydon’s Sight now looks to be made of intricate knotting, almost Elven in nature. It doesn’t have any jewels but there’s something regal about it. I have to say it looks strange to see him with it.

“What an odd transformation of thine fabled helm,” remarks Stoneburner. “I do not know if I will grow accustomed to seeing you without your prized item, Friend Dirk.”

“You and me both,” I tell him, still using Nogg.

It felt weird not to be wearing my usual gear but I’d gone with something a little less traditional since it wouldn’t be forever. The helmet I equipped in place of Graydon’s Sight has some decent stats of its own.

Anthra’s Helmet:

Magical

Durability: 100/100

25% magical damage reduction

+20% mana regeneration

Required Level: 50

The stairs overlook total darkness, but I’ve already got it covered with Nogg’s Illumination spell. With that cast, I turn my attention to Rose. “Before we go inside, we’ll want to make sure nobody gets killed, especially by a single hit.” I begin to use the Shield spell on her, incoherently rambling some old language as Nogg waves his arms around.

Rose is soon encased in an invisible bubble of light. “Okay. What’s that do?”

“It’ll protect you completely from the first hit you take. I should’ve done that earlier, but, well, hindsight.”

She gives me a genuine smile. “Thank you so much. If no one minds, I’ll cast Regeneration on myself and then start casting it on our front lines as we go.”

“Great idea,” I say.

“Thank you.”

“Let’s head down,” says Spyce, motioning for Stoneburner to continue. “Dirk, you should switch back and give the paladin your ring, too.”

“Oh, right,” I say, mostly to myself.

Once I open the trade window, there’s a pause on Stone’s end. “Are you certain?” he asks, and I can hear the discomfort in his voice, as though he believes he doesn’t deserve what I’m giving him.

The ring, called Graydon’s Circle, is powerful. It provides a 50% reduction in physical and magical damage, the ability to identify magical items, and a 500% skill advancement rate. And, since Stoneburner is above level fifteen, it can’t be stolen from him. Meaning if I want it back, I have to trust him to turn it over or kill him for it.

I nod deliberately. “If anyone deserves to carry this, it’s you, man.”

Still, he hesitates, but finally accepts. I want to tell him that the hesitation I see in him is exactly why I’m giving him this piece of armor, and that it’s why I put him in charge of Dawnshire.

But now is not the time. We all need to focus. To keep our eye on the goal.

So I say nothing further and instead turn my attention to the stairs. “Let’s go.”

10

Stoneburner descends first, but not before changing his equipment. He puts on the ring, then replaces his longsword with a shorter one better suited for close-quarters combat. I smile when I see it, proud at his understanding of battle tactics.

His main weapon would have been too dangerous to wield in a tight corridor. King’s League uses real physics in its combat, which means the walls would have stopped the blade from hitting enemies. Stoneburner planned ahead, however, even knowing that Spyce and I would be on hand to do most of the work at first.

I follow my friend, staying close enough to cover him.

The light of Nogg’s spell guides the way, and we descend slowly, taking one stair at a time, until we reach level ground.

The hallway before us stretches on like something from an old D&D game. Carved stone surrounds us, the floor and walls seemingly identical. This place is meant to look ancient, and it does.

Stoneburner keeps his sword at the ready position, should anything leap out and attack. As the resident tank, it’s his job to absorb all the attacks, or at least as much as can be expected. The rest of us are basically here to support him in our own roles. Spyce and me with damage. Rose with healing. Nogg with staying out of the way. It’s a well-balanced group in the most basic sense.

We could always fine tune, but I like what we have. Some groups swear by including a druid or mystic to drop debuffs on the enemies, but I think we’ll be fine without one. Spyce and I should be able to help carry the rest of the group, even accounting for our own debuff as Mentors.

The thought of what this group will be capable of once we get some more levels for the younglings gets me excited. My plan is to just guide them along as we grind. Share what knowledge I have as we go. I’m sort of counting on being able to think of profound things to say as events unfold. That’ll at least have me feel like I’m contributing something. In reality, it’s the Graydon pieces that are going to make the real difference.

A few big XP multiplication bonuses from the helm could have Nogg rocketing up in levels in no time, with everyone else in the party likewise getting a boost from their share of what he accomplishes.

As we move forward, I notice there are several noises in the distance: bats, moans, groans, and creepy crawling things skittering across the floor. Or so the sound designer would like me to believe. Standard dungeon effects, really, and typical of the earlier content in the game for a place like this. This dungeon wasn’t out at King League’s release, but it might as well have been, having come only eight months later.

That was years ago, and the game has blown up beyond anyone’s imagination since.

“Hold!” snaps Stoneburner, raising his hand.

Right in front of him, there’s a large spider about the size of a dog. I spot a second a short distance behind it. “They’re not grouped,” I tell the team. “But if you’re not careful in these situations, you’ll grab the attention of the other one. Stoneburner, edge forward just enough to pull him toward you.”

“Right,” he says, inching closer to the monster. The spider raises a foreleg in warning and then Burner gets near enough to trigger the monster’s aggro. It rushes him immediately. Spyce and I wait for him to gain more of its attention, because as soon as either of us attacks, the spider will undoubtedly come right after us.

Without Graydon’s Sight on, I don’t know what kind of punishment this thing can dish out or take. I’m not worried, but even in mentoring mode, Spyce and I should be able to kill it pretty quickly because of the bonuses that come with our high skill levels. I want us to act like a proper group and for everyone to learn their roles. That's going to be a bit of a challenge for me and I’m sure it will be for Spyce, too. Our instincts are to attack and kill quickly but we need to learn how to work as a group and let our tank hold the aggro.

Stoneburner’s health drops a little as the spider jumps and slams its bulk into him. Spyce steps in to stab the creature, driving her blade directly into one of its many eyes. The monster squeals and turns away from Stoneburner, launching itself at the Elvish bounty hunter. Flying through the air, I catch sight of its venomous maw, and track with my bow to hit the nasty little target. But the gap closes too quickly and I risk friendly fire. Spyce jams another dagger into its body on its way down, finally killing it.

The dying squeal it makes when it lands reminds me of a bird. Its legs curl up and blood pools around its back, a deep shade of green.

“Well,” says Spyce, glancing at me. “He’s going to have a hard time holding them with the two of us here.”

“I apologize,” Stoneburner replies.

“No, no,” I say, waving away the apology. “What skills do you have for gaining aggro, Burner?”

As the options came available to me during my own quest to level up, I'd just assigned what worked best at the time, never paying too much attention. Now that I was teaching others it was important.

“Taunt and Shout, but I believe I gain another in a few levels.”

“I’ve got it pulled up now,” says Spyce. I can still see her facial expressions and it’s kind of cute how she chews on her lower lip when she’s concentrating. “Looks like Thunderous Roar is your next one, then you get a fourth a little bit later. You’ll have to figure out the best method of cycling once you have all of them available.”

Cycling is knowing the best order to use your spells or skills so that you’re always using something.

Stoneburner thanks Spyce for the information and looks down at the spider. “Well dispatched, and well met. Soon I shall accumulate the skills needed to add another, er, aggro hold and will endeavor to maximize its use forthwhit.”

Spyce nods. “I’ve got six primary attack skills that I stick with, each with a different cooldown. Once you get your next taunt, experiment around with the order and see which works better to hold and keep aggro.”

“You’ll just have to do your best until you get them all,” I tell him. “But, really, no worries about not using it in this case. I told you not to draw the other spider’s attention and a taunt or shout might’ve done just that.”

“Thank you for saying so, Friend Dirk. Rest assured, you can both count on me!”

“For now, you pull them and we’ll kill,” I say, getting beside him. “Let’s clear this next room.”

“First a little Regeneration for Stoneburner,” says Rose, who casts the spell and looks pleased to have helped.

After that, Stoneburner does exactly as I ask, going for the nearest spider. He backs up slowly, egging the creature on as it follows, fixated on the paladin. This time, Spyce goes straight after the monster as Stoneburner pulls it toward the party. The creature dies instantly, unable to even make a quarter turn to see its killer.

“That’ll work,” I tell them. “More of that. More cowbell.”

We continue forward, plowing through a room with a dozen spiders and killing them in about as much time as it takes to count them. One. Dead. Two. Dead. Three.

All dead.

It doesn’t take long before we’ve cleared most of the room, pausing briefly when Rose lets out a squeal. She’s leveled up, much to everyone’s surprise since we’ve only just entered.

“Congratulations!” exclaims Stoneburner.

“Nice one,” I tell her.

“I was already at 95% when we entered,” said Rose. “But this is great! Thank you so much.”

“Any new spells?” asks Spyce.

Rose shakes her head. “Not this time, just the skill points.”

“Too bad,” I say. “You’ll want to use those points wisely. But stay focused and let’s keep going. There’s going to be plenty more chances as we continue. Maybe we’ll find a prayer book that will have something in it for you, too.”

A prayer book is basically a spell book. Something a caster can learn a spell with. The game just shows it to you as a spell book or prayer book depending on your class.

The smile from leveling hasn’t faded from Rose’s face. “You can count on me.”

The room is fully cleared in under a minute as Spyce and I divide and conquer, each taking multiple spiders at once. Stoneburner laughs when I loose an arrow into one of them and the spider is propelled into the nearest wall. It sticks there, thanks to the arrow digging itself into the stone, with the spider’s legs drooping toward the floor.

I start to loot the spiders but pause when I notice Hairy Meg behind us. “Give me a second,” I tell the others, and proceed to switch to the other account. Once I’m controlling Nogg again, I turn to Meg and hail her.

“What can I do for you, Nogg?” she asks, staring up at the wizard.

“Can you loot all the monsters we kill?”

“Of course,” she says in a tone that sounds like the answer was obvious. “I’ll tell you when I’ve had my fill, but you can count on me.”

“Perfect. That should save us some time.”

I put the headset back on and take control of Dirk again. The real treasures are further ahead, buried in the bottom of this dungeon, so I’ll loot those myself, but having Meg pick up the trash will definitely save us some time and could provide the guild with extra crafting materials once we’re home. The best we’ll get from these things are spider venom sacks, silk, and fangs, but it’s better than nothing.

I give directions to Stoneburner on where to go next. “This place has five levels to it, each with progressively stronger monsters. We’ll want to clear them out one at a time.”

“Why not go straight to the end and kill the harder ones?” asks Spyce.

“We have to kill a boss on each level before the seals at the end unlock and we can go inside.”

“Have you ever done that before?”

“On my own, yeah, but when I got to the end, I was still locked out. You have to be in the right level range to fight the final boss. I wasn’t. You can do the other bosses at any level, though.”

“Think mentoring will be enough to let you in?” she asks. “Or will the game just go off our actual levels?”

“We should be good,” I say.

It doesn’t take long for us to encounter something more deadly than a spider. This one looks like a mummified human, lying on a stone bench inside a catacomb-like passage. Sarcophaguses line the walls, hundreds of human skulls stacked between them. I’ve been here before, so I know what’s about to happen. Even still, I can’t help but feel a sense of eerie, unbroken tension as Stoneburner approaches the body.

This is scary movie stuff.

The mummy’s eyes and mouth snap open, a long moan filling the room as it begins to rise.

Still, everyone but me jumps back in fright and I can’t help but laugh.

“A warning would’ve been nice,” says Spyce, readying her daggers.

The monster is slow to get on its feet, giving our paladin all the time he needs to use his taunts and get as much aggression as possible. As soon as the mummy is standing, it turns toward Stoneburner and starts lazily walking with its arms out.

“That belongs in a museum!” Stoneburner bellows.

“And so do you, Dr. Jones!” I shout back on reflex.

Rose giggles but Spyce only rolls her eyes. Not an Indy fan, I guess. Philistine.

On the surface, this fight might seem easy and straightforward, but that is rarely the case. Stoneburner tries to dig his short sword into the mummy’s chest, but nothing happens.

“It’s impervious to physical attacks,” I tell him, realizing I took for granted that he would know that. “He’s undead. We have to use magic or magic weapons.”

“Right,” he replies sheepishly. “I lack such a short sword.”

Rose takes that as her queue and starts casting a spell. A bright, pure light fills the air above us and a beam strikes the monster where its heart should be.

It staggers.

“There you go!” I shout, finding it hard to contain my excitement. Not so much at damaging the enemy, but more from seeing my teammates adapt and learn. “Don’t let up.”

“Mayhaps the use of Godstrike would smite this foe,” says Stoneburner, repositioning himself between the mummy and Rose to hold its attention.

“Better do something,” says Spyce. “You have to do more than taunt it if you want to keep that thing on you now that Rose has damaged it.”

“Your word,” he says, then raises his hands and chants a short spell. When he’s done, a circle of light encompasses the mummy, and a dozen orbs appear. They begin to rotate around it and then come together, finally engulfing the creature. “Is my command.”

This time, rather than just staggering, the monster goes white and the light comes shining out of its eyes and mouth. When that fades, the magic powering it is gone, and the walking dead becomes a corpse yet again.

Almost as soon as it goes down, Hairy Meg is on the corpse, digging her hands into the body and stuffing her bag with items I can’t see.

“Good work,” I tell the team. “That’s some top tier vanquishing.”

Stoneburner gives me a quick bow but doesn’t stop for more than a few seconds before continuing. “Let us not tarry.”

We reach a room similar to the previous, except this one is bigger and the walls are covered with green tapestries emblazoned with a gold lion symbol.

“Careful in here,” I warn the team. “This is where the first boss is located.”

As soon as we’re inside, the door slams shut and the floor begins to shake.

“What’s this?” asks Stoneburner, suddenly raising his shield in a defensive position.

“Here we go,” mutters Rose. Her tone is quieter than usual.

“Is this where your last group died?” I ask.

She nods slowly. “I couldn’t get out since the door was closed, but I managed to burn my only teleportation scroll to get home at the last second.”

The scroll allows casters with enough mana to use the teleportation spell effect. It’s a one-time use and doesn’t come cheaply. But, since it was that or her life, she made the right call.

“Don’t rely on teleportation too much,” says Spyce. “If there was a lockout you would’ve died, too.”

It’s a little harsh, but true. Some dungeons, especially the late-game kind, prevent players from teleporting, whether they’re using a spell or an item. If you walk in unprepared, there is no escape.

You’re just dead.

“I promise this won’t be a repeat of last time.” She looks at me as I say the words, and she seems relieved. “Just focus on healing.”

Without a word, she raises her staff and casts a spell. A magical glyph appears beneath Stoneburner’s feet. It’s Protection of the Lower Gods, providing him with additional armor for the next hour. I’ve seen it before, though at a higher level than Rose’s.

As the animation continues, I switch to Nogg as quickly as I can and cast a new Shield spell, this time on himself. I don’t want him to take any big hits by surprise and then die before I can get to him.

“Ah,” says Stoneburner, smacking his sword with his shield. The glow from the glyph still gleaming against his armor. “Now, I am feeling invigorated. Thank you, kind lady.”

The back wall rotates, the stone coming apart from itself, and the floor turns with it. Purple smoke swirls as the boss appears, beginning with its red feet, followed by golden, sparkling eyes inside the fog. The Great Lion Guardian roars, smacking its jaws as it locks sight with me.

Stoneburner takes a step forward. “And now we fight!” His voice booms inside my ears as he charges forward. Right away, he shouts at the monster, taking its attention away from me and onto him.

I throw out my arm and warn, “Careful, don’t get too close to—”

But before I can finish, the paladin is walloped by a massive swipe of the lion’s paw that sends Stoneburner stumbling backward.

“Ye gods! What might!” he exclaims. “Half my health! Gone!”

That’s normal for this monster. Its first strike is triple the normal blow, but it hadn’t taken quite so much from me due to my higher level.

Rose heals Stoneburner immediately. “That should give you back some if it!”

“Indeed! Near enough to full, thank you, m’lady!”

What I hear tells me the team is working together just fine.

Spyce and I hang back, giving Stoneburner time to gain more aggro and direct XP. His health bar jumps up and down as the seconds pass. With one great blow, the lion’s claw comes down on his shield, causing him to stumble back. It’s a critical hit, so he staggers and his health dips even more than the first time.

He’s at about a quarter now and fighting a losing battle on his own. After all, there’s only so much a tank can do if he doesn’t have any backup besides a healer.

Spyce looks at me, so I give her a nod to have at it. She smiles, draws her daggers, and lunges.

If that lion could speak, it would beg for its life.

Instead, it just screams as the bounty hunter plunges both her weapons into the animal’s neck, scoring a critical and causing the beast to paw desperately at the wound, trying to dislodge her.

Rose steps in and begins to heal Stoneburner again. I take that as my chance to strike, using three consecutive arrows. Two in the chest, one in the head.

The lion readies itself and leaps at Stoneburner, clashing with his shield. His health dips from almost full all the way down under half. Despite Rose’s heals, the paladin just isn’t strong enough to handle a boss like this.

But that’s okay. It won’t be long now.

Spyce comes back in, dodging below the lion’s jaw. The monster’s teeth snap, barely missing her as she dives below and through its legs. As she slides beneath its belly, I spot the hilt of another dagger appear, sticking out of the creature’s gut.

She emerges on the other side, jumping to her feet. As she does, the lion lets out a booming cry of pain. Its knees give out and it collapses.

A fog appears again, this time swirling around the fresh corpse. In seconds, it dissolves, leaving only a treasure box behind. At the same time, a bright yellow light consumes all three of my under leveled compatriots, indicating that they’ve gained a new level.

“Yes!” exclaims Rose, jumping up and down. “What in the nut? How did that happen so quickly?”

“Nogg’s helm must have come in handy with that larger XP dump,” I say.

Stoneburner is on one knee, apparently near death himself, when Rose takes notice and casts a healing spell. After a short moment, the circle of glyphs disappears and he’s back on his feet again, fully refreshed.

I take this time to switch over to Nogg, checking his progress. Just as I hoped, he’s now level 24. No new spells or anything to add, but that’s fine. I’ll get him another soon, especially since he’s using Graydon’s Helmet. I quickly dump his ability points into Stamina to get him some high HP. He settles in at 225. From here on out, I’ll have to balance what I value more, him having some room to breathe when it comes to hit points or leveling out his other attributes. Some spells require a certain Charisma level to cast. Since Nogg isn’t a battle mage, I don’t want to spend too many attributes on Strength or Stamina. Not until we’re getting close to 99, that is.

“Hey, so what’s everybody’s level?” I ask, able to check for myself with Graydon’s Sight, but wanting to encourage the sharing of info among the party.

“I have reached the twenty-first level of experience,” Stoneburner says proudly. “Finally worthy of an ale at Andrade’s.”

“Level twenty-three, here,” Rose exclaims. “This is so exciting!”

“Methinks I shall enhance my Stamina,” says Stoneburner. “I did not enjoy how swiftly yon lion devoided me of full health.”

“I’ll do a little of this and that,” Rose says. “More Stamina and then I need to get my Intelligence up.”

That reminds me of when I first saw her. “Why are you putting attribute points to Intelligence, Rose? You know that a cleric’s mana is determined through charisma, right?”

She hesitates. “Oh. Yes. I know that. But… well, for a while I was thinking I might want to pursue the quest where you get your own parish. If you follow it through, you control a whole diocese and get lots of access to all sorts of holy artifacts. But you have to meet certain attribute requirements to do that. No one wants a dumb bishop ruling over them.”

I smile. “That makes sense. And there’ll be plenty of time for that later. But for now, pump those attribute points into Charisma and Stamina. Keep yourself full of HP, keep your ability to heal functioning at max capacity.”

She nods readily. “Check. One to Stamina, Four to Charisma. I put three in Charisma with the last level up. Two to Intelligence. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Glad we caught it now. Burner, you’re spot on. Points to Strength and Stamina. You’re a tank so eat up and make those gains.”

“But if you find you can’t get out of the way of attacks fast enough,” Spyce adds, “don’t be afraid to dump a level into Agility.”

“Sage counsel friends, you have my eternal thanks.”

Anyone else saying that would have sounded like a smartass. But not Stoneburner.

I notice that Meg is tugging on Nogg’s robes. “What’s up?” I ask.

“My inventory is now full. If you want me to continue collecting drops, you’ll have to free up space.”

I don’t answer, opting to sort through her loot when we’re done here. Using Nogg, I approach the treasure chest and bend down to loot it.

30 gold.

The Heart of a Lion.

Eye of Torment

The Lion Shield.

Level 1 Key

“Anything good?” asks Spyce.

I examine the loot closer before I answer. The gold is obvious, as is the Key, but the rest are crafting components, used for who-knows-what. The shield, on the other hand, is something we can actually use.

The Lion Shield

Magical

Legendary Artifact

Durability 450/450

10% physical damage reduction

10% magical damage reduction

+150 HP

+1 Strength

+12% Block Chance

+5 Taunt

Can only be equipped by Warriors

“Nothing too crazy but there’s a nice shield here for Stone,” I say. “And a level one key. The keys are for the end boss. I couldn’t get any of them when I was here on my own because my level was too high, but the wiki said something about them. There’s some crafting stuff if you want it.”

“Pass,” Spyce says, sounding like it’s the last thing she wants to pick up.

I loot the eye, heart, and select to split the gold evenly among the party. Then back away and look at Stoneburner. “Shield’s all yours, man.”

“Incredible,” he says with a grin. “This is twice as good as the shield I’m carrying.”

“Then swap it out,” suggests Spyce. “Don’t just stand there and stare at it.”

He does exactly that, equipping the shield and storing his old one. The new piece is rich with detail, showing an old English lion symbol on the front, popping with bright red and silver. It’s like something out of a Chronicles of Narnia movie, and I’m here for it.

“This alone makes the whole day worth it,” Stoneburner says, and I can tell by his tone that he really means it. “Such craftsmanship.”

Rose is quiet, just watching him. “Don’t worry,” I tell her. “I’m sure we’ll find something for you, too.”

She looks at me, pausing like she’s not sure what I mean. “Oh, you don’t have to say that. Really. I’m just happy to be here.”

Spyce scoffs. “Don’t be so modest. We see you eying it, and that’s good. You should want to improve yourself. Get hungry.”

I laugh at how blunt she is. “Spyce is right. Ambition can be a good thing in this game. It keeps you motivated.”

Rose giggles. “If you say so. The last time I was here, we didn’t even dream of seeing a chest. I can’t imagine what comes next.”

“Well, we aren’t quite there yet,” I tell them all. “We need to get all three of you up to level 25, minimum, before tackling the next boss.”

I want to add that the armor will help us go faster, but Rose doesn’t have a piece, so even with the shared team XP she’s probably going to lag behind some. Nothing to really do about that, though.

“If that’s the case, we’d better keep going. Where to?” asks Spyce.

“Where else?” I ask, motioning at the entrance to the room, which is now open. “We clear the floor all over again. The individual floors here don't reset at midnight. Each resets ten minutes after it’s been cleared.”

“You mean all those spiders, mummies, and the boss?” asks Rose.

I nod. “Exactly. And we’re doing it until Stoneburner can take more than a few hits from the lion, so settle in. It’s going to be a while.”

11

After a whole evening on the same floor, Stoneburner and Nogg had each gained five levels, putting them at 26 and 29. Rose had gained two, putting her at 25. All thanks to Graydon's experience boost and the fact that the group shares 25% of the XP any one person gets.

All in all, a good day. And definitely more level progression in a single session than either Rose or Stoneburner had ever seen before. Thank you very much, Mr. Graydon.

I logged off an hour ago and am now lying on the floor, taking a break between sit-ups. Not exactly my favorite way to work out, but I’m not about to return to that gym anytime soon.

After knocking out a hundred situps I flip over and do a ten second plank followed by ten pushups and then another ten second plank. I do that until I’ve hit fifty pushups and, believe me, I feel like I’m dying by the time I’m done. I get up and do some jumping jacks, hoping I’m not being too noisy for the tenant below. My core still screaming, I drop one more time, the sweat on my shirt slapping against the floor and doing a set of butterfly kicks. This may sound impressive, but I can feel just how much harder it is since I’ve let myself slack in my workouts. I’m struggling to survive.

When I’m done, my legs drop in a thud to the floor. I hear the guy below me shout for me to keep quiet. “Sorry!” I yell.

That’s about all I’ve got the energy for right now. I lay there panting for a while and then grab my phone and start shopping. Even though I just bought that expensive VR rig, I decide it’s time to invest in some proper weights. Nothing too crazy. Just a set of 35 pound dumbbells so I can add a little variety to whatever kind of routine this is evolving into.

Order placed and I’m feeling slightly better. I get up and begin to perform Hindu Squats. I don’t want to, but I know I need to make my allotted workout time really count. I’ve been gaming for twelve hours or more a day, and I expect that’s about to go even longer as my group works hard at leveling and growing the team. We’ve got our work cut out for us, that’s for sure.

And it’s just the beginning. We’ll have to go off to another region in search of that mysterious player killer and his Graydon’s piece. Maybe we’ll learn something. Maybe we’ll just get another piece of the set. As long as we don’t die in the process, either would be a good result.

Adding to that, Salvatore weighs heavily on my mind. He can’t just be playing in Golden and licking his wounds. The jerk is vindictive and I know better than to think his threat to Stoneburner was empty. Unless he comes clean about it on the stream and says that it was when he started sending threats to gamers and their families IRL—and reaches out to Stoneburner again to apologize—I’m going to keep on believing he’s up to something bad.

After a bowl of ramen, you know, a perfect post workout meal, I lay in bed and start watching an episode of Rising of a Shield Hero, an anime I’ve seen probably four times by now. Five minutes in and my eyes are getting heavy, and it doesn’t take long for me to fade.

I dream about the game again, reliving a past battle. This time, I’m fighting a dragon in the middle of an ice storm, somewhere on the peak of a distant mountain. I don’t immediately recognize it, but it still feels familiar, like I’m supposed to be here. It’s just the two of us, facing one another down. This is my moment.

I dive out of the way of the dragon’s fire. It flaps its wings and roars, and I answer with a flurry of arrows. They bounce right off the reptile’s scales. He’s impervious to everything I try.

As I reach behind for another arrow, I find the quiver empty. Worse yet, I can’t get close enough to make a dent with my blade.

The dragon raises its jaws and brings them down on me, and all at once the lights go out and I’m in the dark. I scream, trying to dig my way free from inside.

But it’s no use.

My eyes snap open as I gasp for air.

A knock at the door. Three of them. It takes a second to realize where I am and what’s going on.

My blanket is wrapped around me and I struggle to free myself. By the time I reach the door, get the locks undone, and yank it open, Mrs. Mendoza is starting to shuffle down the hall. My landlady has a brown package under one arm, and I can just make out part of the King’s League logo on one side.

I call out when she doesn’t hear my door open. “Mrs. Mendoza!”

She stops walking and turns to come back, her face breaking into a wide smile when she sees me. “There you are, Dirk. A package was delivered to the office by mistake. It’s for you—” She pauses at what I assume must be my unkempt appearance and sleep puffy eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry. I woke you up.”

“That’s okay, Mrs. Mendoza,” I assure her. My eyes are stuck to the box though. I can’t wait to see my new gear and try it out. “Thanks for bringing my delivery.”

The older woman finally makes it back to my door and hands me the box. I start to say goodbye when she leans in and whispers, “You know, dear… You’ve been paying your rent on time for months. If you need to buy some decent underpants I’m happy to give you a few dollars’ break this month.”

Horrified, I look down, thinking I’m not wearing any. The reality is almost as bad. I’m wearing an ancient pair of tighty whities that I specifically keep for emergencies. And also because I have a morbid curiosity about just how long these things can last. After too many washes, they’re more like tighty dingy gray-ees. This is like the nightmare where you go to class with no pants on. Except it’s real. All because I forgot to do the laundry. Again.

I try not to die of embarrassment. “I’m fine, Mrs. Mendoza. Work has been busy and I have to do laundry. But thanks, really.”

She pats me on the cheek, which somehow makes things worse. “I see. Perhaps you could find a nice girl and settle down, then. Or hire someone to help you out. First, though, I would throw those away, dear. They have holes on the waistband.” She tut-tuts me like a disapproving mother. “A nice young woman might see those and never come back. Anyway, here’s your package. Take care!”

With that, my landlady shuffles off toward her own apartment.

My mortification is completely forgotten when I look down at my package—the other package, perverts—now in my hands.

Oh, hell yeah.

I can hardly contain my excitement as I place the box on my bed and open it. The packaging is sleek and clean, the sort you’d expect of something this expensive. It even smells new.

But what matters here is what’s inside. I’m careful to separate the machine from the protective layer of plastic around it. The whole process takes about three minutes, but I soon have the headset in my hands, charging cord unfurled and ready to use.

The instructions are straightforward for the most part, the same as all the other headsets, only this one comes with additional customization options. I decide to mess with them later when I have the time, but for now I go with one of the presets. Option 1, which is geared more for performance. This puppy is at least five times as good as my current gear, which is hard to imagine.

King’s League is already so realistic that I can’t fathom it being five times better. Still, I’m excited to find out what that really means, so I strap on the headset and load up the game.

Since this is my first time using it, I’m prompted with a login screen. It’s different from the usual one. A more visually interesting piece of art behind the username and password. There’s an image of two wizards, a warrior, and an assassin fighting a troll, with a series of mountains in the distance and a village at the valley below. I wonder, briefly, if that’s an in-game location or if it’s just some artwork the devs choose at random.

Once I log in, I’m prompted with a brand-new authentication option: retinal scan.

Interesting. I’d heard they were planning to roll this out, but this is the first time I’ve seen it. Must be getting rolled out in batches, starting with the higher end models.

I accept the prompt and a red little three-dimensional eye appears. It moves to each corner of my field of vision, top and bottom, and the sides. I’m instructed to stare at the eye as my own eyes are mapped. After a few seconds of that, the red eye turns green and the word SUCCESS appears.

From there it takes almost no time for me to enter the game.

Only this time, everything is a little different.

I start up in Dawnshire, exactly where I logged out inside the temple. The light of the nearby sconce draws my attention, its light bright and inviting. The fidelity is better than I could have imagined, as though I’m really there, and it’s like I can almost feel the flame.

Walking closer to it, I pause. Is that dust I see on the brick wall behind it?

No, that can’t be right. King’s League is amazing, but I’ve never been able to make out actual grains of dust.

But yes, there they are, resting gently on the stones. I wipe my hand across the brick and the particles glide off and into the air, disappearing. Except for the ones that land in the torch flame, which cause little sparks to appear.

I wonder, has this always been here? Was there another layer of detail buried beneath what I was seeing?

Or is it just this place? Is Dawnshire so special that the devs chose to fill it with more than the rest of the world?

Anything is possible, but no, something tells me that can’t be the case. The headset specs said it was five times more powerful than my old one, and that rig was already pretty good. I’ve gone all this time without knowing how immersive King’s League actually is, and now that I’ve seen it, I don’t know if I’ll ever go back.

When I was a kid, my dad would always talk about full immersion VR. He said one day, probably in my lifetime, we’d have a way to “jack in”, just like in the Matrix, and experience another reality with all five senses. We’d be able to not only see the ocean, but smell the salt in the air, and even taste it (not that you would, but hey, the option would be there). Audio so crisp that you would turn in the direction sounds came from just like in the real world.

Wearing this gear now, I can see what he was talking about. Sure, we aren't there yet, but it probably isn’t that far off.

20 years? 40? Anything is possible.

I only wish my dad could have seen it come this far.

* * *

After meeting up with the team, we head back to the dungeon in the desert. Along the way, I spend most of my time just checking out the environment. Individual grains of sand are as clear as real life, flowing in the air with such fidelity that I feel like I’m walking through a piece of art. And I suppose I am.

“Head on a swivel, huh?” Spyce asks me.

“Oh,” I say, feeling embarrassed. I wasn’t looking for possible trouble out there… I was just looking. “Yeah.”

We’re ready for the little ambush at the start of the temple this time. I blast a couple of fireballs before we get too close and the splash damage kills off our crazy beggar, allowing all of us to move inside unmolested.

Man. It’s insane in this dungeon. It’s almost like I’m looking at a completely different place. The detail has been enhanced, even redefined, including the color and texture of the stones. What were once flat, gray blocks have a sparkling quality where some kind of crystal—I’m not a geologist—shines in the light. The audio fidelity is up, too. Our footsteps echo slightly, like they did before, but it feels more real. And you can make out the distinct sound of each member of the party. It’s adjusting for character weight, type of shoe or boot… awesome.

I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on all of this for so long.

“You guys ready?” I ask, stopping just inside. The first spider is still ahead, not yet drawn to fight us.

“My heart pounds with elation at the thought of slaying more beasts,” Stoneburner begins.

Out of his peripheral vision, Spyce meets my gaze. Laughing, she rolls her eyes at his roleplaying. The way she smiles after makes me think she isn’t being malicious. In fact, it almost seems like she’s sharing an inside joke with me. Maybe she’s starting to really see herself as part of our group.

“Are we starting from the top again?” asks Rose. She definitely looks more excited than nervous today.

“That’s right,” I reply.

“Let’s go,” says Spyce, motioning Stoneburner forward.

Our party tank attacks the first spider as soon as we reach it. I’m glad to see that his confidence has gone up since we first made our way down here. Knowing Stoneburner, he’ll only improve as the levels come and his abilities continue to grow.

The spider, like everything else, is also visually enhanced. The hair on its body is fluid and scarily realistic. The thing is, I thought the old version was that way, too. This new rig is like getting glasses for the first time, especially if you didn’t know you needed them.

We spend the next few hours killing the same enemies over and over again. We’re averaging a level up for every five runs through the first level of the tomb.

Rose, is lagging a little slower than the rest. Her experience is still pretty good, all things considered, but without a piece of Graydon’s Armor to boost her at the same rate as the others, she’s quickly falling behind. And while she did manage to pick up a Staff of the Lioness, which boosts her healing and total mana, it hardly makes up for the relative lack of progress.

Staff of the Lioness

Magical, Rare

Durability: 190/190

Melee Damage: 3-18

+75 mana

+10% mana regeneration

+5% health regeneration

Required Level: 30

After slaying the lion and Rose getting the staff, I decide it’s time to fix this unique little problem.

“All right, everyone, let’s take a bathroom break and recover. We still have a ways to go.”

“Five minutes?” asks Rose.

“Take however long you need,” I tell her. “This isn’t the military. Just don’t be gone too long or I’ll have to send Spyce in after you.”

She laughs at my dumb joke and then her character goes still as she removes her headset and leaves.

“I believe I, too, shall visit the privy,” says Stoneburner.

I give him a quick nod and wait until he’s gone. But before Spyce has a chance to do the same, I raise a hand to let her know I need to talk.

“What’s up?” she asks, walking closer to me.

The lion’s room is dark and empty, except for the four of us, but it feels like I’m surrounded by ears. I open up a private chat with Spyce.

“About Rose,” I start to say.

“What about her?”

“She’s lagging behind. It won’t be long before the others have outpaced her so much that she can’t catch up.”

Spyce looks back over her shoulder, then nods. “Yeah, that’s a problem. We’ll have to leave her behind at some point.”

“Will we?” I ask, looking down at her waist.

“What are you looking at?” asks Spyce, cocking her brow.

“The belt. You think you can let her borrow it?”

She audibly scoffs. “You want me to loan a piece of Graydon’s Armor to someone I barely know? Are you crazy? Don’t answer that. Dirk… you’re crazy.”

“I’m not saying you have to give it to her permanently.”

“You know that’s not the problem. If she decides to run and log off, or even if she just refuses to give it back, what are we supposed to do?”

“She’s a healer. She needs a group to level and fight and she has to know that she’s not going to find a better company than the one we’re building. Besides, it’s not like the belt does anything else besides give you a nice XP bonus,” I tell her, leaving out the part about the add-in stones I’ve managed to gather.

“No way. I don’t care if that’s all it does. I’m not giving up the rarest item in the entire game.”

“One of the rarest,” I correct. “There are six pieces. Not one.”

“Whatever. It’s the only one I’ve got. How about you give her one of your pieces and let her catch up that way?”

I sigh. She’s right to be concerned. Spyce probably wouldn’t even loan the belt to me, let alone someone like Rose that she just met. After a few seconds, an idea grabs me. “How about I insure your belt with something else?”

“Insure how? What does that mean?”

“If Rose decides to steal your belt, I’ll give you something else instead. Another Graydon piece.”

“Another piece of the armor? Which one?”

“The ring.”

She pauses, starts to open her mouth, but then shuts it again.

It’s a good deal. Even if Rose steals the belt, which I seriously doubt, the ring is a far better prize for Spyce. And she knows it.

“How do I know you’ll honor that?” she finally asks.

“Have I ever given you a reason to distrust me?”

“That’s beside the point.”

“Fine. How about this? You let Rose use the belt and I’ll make you an admin of Dawnshire, same as Stoneburner. You’ll have to join the guild, but you’ll have access to the vault and the guild bank, and you can have a direct say in how we conduct business.”

“An admin? To your city?”

“That’s what I said, yeah. That plus the ring if she bolts.”

She pauses again. “Why would you do something like that?”

“Because you’re here now.” I bring up the guild management tool and send an invite to her. She doesn’t accept it yet, instead just stands there and stares into the air where the message has no doubt appeared. That’s fine. Let her mull it over for as long as she wants, and if she rejects it, at least I can say I tried. Maybe it’ll take a while for her to see I’m not the enemy and I’m not going to exploit her or steal from her. Or maybe she’ll never trust me.

Lord knows I’m still not there, myself, but we have to take that first step at some point.

“I’m back,” says Rose, her voice carrying over to us.

I turn back into the room and go to where I was standing before. “Welcome back.”

Stoneburner twitches in place, finally moving as he puts his headset back on. “Thank you kindly for the break, everyone. Well met.”

“Are we ready to keep going?” asks Rose.

I look at Spyce, who is still in the hall. Her eyes lower to mine and she stands there, hesitantly. Or maybe she’s just thinking.

“Yeah. Let’s run through everything again,” I say, looking at Rose.

Right then, there’s a message, written in green.

Spyce has joined the Ebonforge Guild.

I look up at the bounty hunter as she walks into the room, only to see her smiling and looking at Rose. “Not so fast,” Spyce says, then holds her hand out. “You should equip this.”

It takes Rose a second to understand what she’s been offered. “This is…” She pauses, and then her eyes go wide. “I couldn’t take that. It’s—”

“—Not a big deal,” Spyce finishes. “Look, just wear this belt and your XP rate will go up. You can give it back when we’re done. Don’t worry about it unless you plan on trying to steal it. I’ve made a lot of money in this game tracking down people who have done something stupid like that.”

“I would never do that. But… are you sure?” asks Rose, still hesitant. She might not be fully aware of the importance of the armor, but she understands that it’s valuable, even if it’s just because of the experience boost and the rarity. And maybe I’m a fool to trust her, but I can also sense the growing loyalty she has to us. We took her in and helped give her a place, a tribe, and she sees that.

Spyce glances at me, if only for a moment, before turning to Rose and smiling. “I’m sure.”

Rose clasps her hands excitedly and returns the smile, finally accepting the gift. Right away, the belt is on her waist. It’s strange to see Nogg wearing the helmet and Rose with the belt, almost like an alternate reality where someone else found the armor besides me and Spyce. I can’t see the ring that Stone has—it’s equipped beneath his heavy plate gloves—but I feel its absence all the same.

“Let’s keep going,” I tell the group. “I think we’re going to all see a lot more leveling with the way we’re outfitted right now.”

“Another round of kills, then,” says Stoneburner, eager as ever. “Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath, now for ruin, and the red dawn!”

Spyce takes the time to emphatically roll her eyes, almost like she wants everyone to notice. “Oh, boy.”

“Not this time, guys,” I cut in.

“Please tell me we get to move on,” says Spyce. “I feel like I could walk this level in my sleep.”

I smile. She already picked up on what I was planning on saying. I say it anyway. “Now that we’re all properly geared up, sure. I think it’s time we went to the next floor. Unless anyone has gotten too attached to Lion-O, Mumm-Ra, and all the spiders, that is.”

12

The second floor brings bats, goblins, and snakekins. The bats are vampiric, so they can heal themselves through their attacks. There’s also an extremely small percent chance that being bit by one will infect you with vampirism. No worries, though. They’re easy enough to dispatch with some well-placed arrows. Still, they hide in the shadows and launch themselves at our necks, so I tell the others to keep their eyes on the ceiling. Meanwhile, the goblins are strategically located through the cave, each with a caster, basher, and supplier. The casters and bashers do exactly what you’d expect: cast spells and bash heads, but the suppliers are a little different. They use potions depending on the situation, making them both a healer and a utility class, which means you have to kill them straight away.

And we do.

The snakekins are unique to this place: monsters with the bodies of men and the heads of cobras. Easily dispatched because they deal almost no damage and have fairly low hit points. But they almost always hit you with acid spit. Stoneburner has to be on his guard while leading us through.

Unlike standard single level dungeons that are popular in King’s League, each floor here increases by fifteen levels, so while we may have outgrown the first one, we’re almost under-leveled for the second. And it’s going to be that way all the way to the end unless we hang out here until we hit the max level for the dungeon as a whole. It’s an interesting style, that’s for sure, designed so players can’t run through all at once. Back when I was scavenging, I’d occasionally come across a dead player with one of the keys still in their inventory. I remember one time I found a guy who had the level four key and would have to start the whole thing over. Ouch.

Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes I think the devs are a little sadistic.

However, in this case, it’s going to work in our favor.

The boss at this level is a cave troll, nearly identical to the one in that old Lord of the Rings movie, except for a single horn sticking out of his forehead. I guess that’s enough to keep from getting sued. After slaying frustratingly capable goblin trios and protecting our necks from swooping bats, the troll makes its debut by knocking its way through the wall on the far side of the room. The rocks tumble around it, some landing on its head and shoulders. The dimwitted creature barely registers this. It looks around the room dumbly, locks eyes with Rose, and lets out a piercing nasal roar. It takes a lumbering step toward our healer and begins to swing its club in every direction. A weapon that is easily twice the size of our paladin.

Nogg had just cast shield on Stoneburner, who runs directly into the fray, letting out a war cry as he rushes to clash with the monster. “For the Shire!”

His initial attack is an effective slash at the monster’s thick legs, drawing blood right away. That’s a testimony to the sharpness of his weapon and the strength he’s built in leveling. Unfortunately, that slash isn’t going to slow a creature this big down. The troll catches Burner square in the face, sending him stumbling several feet backward before he rights himself. Stoneburner, wanting to keep the boss’s aggro focused on him, bashes sword against shield and uses every taunt he’s got.

The troll whacks him again and I’m pretty sure I see little flecks of blood and spittle fly from Stoneburner’s mouth as he yells. This new headset is awesome.

“He needs help,” Spyce says. “That smack dropped a third of his health.”

As Rose heals, Spyce runs behind the creature while I back up and start firing arrows. I’m using Master Arrows. A non-magical item that will hit for 1-20 damage before bow and other modifiers kick in. They are currently my go-to projectile of choice unless I’m facing a really tough opponent. I’m well stocked, coming into the dungeon with over a hundred. This troll might be a good candidate for using my Arrow of the Hammer on, since it ignores the target’s armor—and the hide has to give a good armor bonus. I’d rather preserve those arrows for the lower floors. I also don’t want to run dry on the Master Arrows, so I take my time with each shot in an effort to make them count.

Meanwhile, Spyce digs a dagger into the troll’s neck fat, backstabbing him for triple damage. The troll jerks its head around at Spyce, its attention now drawn away from the paladin.

Two more arrows hit the beast, one in the neck and another in the chest. The neck shot is a critical hit for double damage. I just wish I knew exactly how much was happening. Playing without Graydon’s Sight is… different. I’m realizing in these harder fights how much I had started to rely on it for strategy.

The critical hit shifts the troll’s aggro to me. Not what I wanted. I’ve officially become public enemy number one.

Spyce continues to attack, along with Stoneburner, and Rose keeps stacking on the heals, getting his health back up.

I now have two options before me: either stop attacking and hope that Spyce or Stoneburner regain aggro (which seems unlikely to happen before this thing is taking a swing at me), or lean into this and go all out.

The troll is bleeding heavily from the wounds Spyce has dealt out. Stoneburner has been slashing its legs and using his shield to deflect the reflexive and wild blows that follow. I think this thing is close to being snuffed out.

Looks like I’m going with the second option.

Time to once again harness my inner Legolas. Two Arrows of the Hammer on the string at once—a neat trick afforded me due to my archery skill being maxed.

Fire.

Direct hits in the legs, causing him to stagger. But only for a second.

Spyce runs quickly behind the troll, twin daggers in either hand. She slides on both knees and slices the creature across its heels. Critical hit, Achilles.

I’ve seen her work before, but usually when she was attacking me. Being on the same team is a whole different experience, one that has me losing focus as I watch her avatar battle the dungeon boss. She fights with a finesse that amazes me.

The troll lets out a deafening cry that booms through my ears and shakes the very ground. Dust falls from the ceiling as it drops to its knees. It’s down but not defeated. The beast swings its club around and slams it into Spyce, launching her against the far wall. She collides with the stone and falls a meter and a half to the ground.

Now Stoneburner is the lead attacker, swinging his sword and being battered behind his shield.

“That was a critical,” Spyce says to the team. “Down to 35%. This mentoring thing is no joke.”

She isn’t kidding. “Rose!” I call.

She’s casting healing spells on Burner as quickly as she can. “If I stop healing Stoneburner he’ll—”

Spyce slowly climbs up to one knee. “Don’t worry about me. Just focus on the kill!”

“As you wish!” shouts Stoneburner and proceeds to jump high in the air and bring his shield down on the enemy’s head. Another loud crash follows as the metal breaks the creature’s nose—or at least makes it bleed. It doesn’t really have a protruding nose per se. It drops its jaw, both drool and blood dripping from its dangling mouth, and its eyes roll back in its big, dumb head as it looks up to the ceiling.

I send an arrow into the creature’s throat just to be sure.

The thousand pound body slams face-first into the ground in front of me, barely a yard ahead of where I’m standing. Not getting that arrow back.

Stoneburner and Rose’s eyes are both wide with surprise, but before they can say a word, a golden light surrounds them and I hear the fanfare play on my desktop to indicate that Nogg has reached a new level. Not bad for just sitting there.

“I just gained two levels!” exclaims Rose, much to both of our surprise. I don’t think the troll was worth that much, so this is definitely the combined effect of all the Graydon pieces working on the shared XP.

“I’ve gained one and a half,” says Stoneburner.

A few seconds later, I’ve got my headset off and I’m checking over Nogg. He’s gained one himself, along with a new spell that enhances run speed.

Swift Feet

Effect: Doubles running speed. Does not stack.

Duration: three hours

Casting Time: .5 seconds

Cooldown: 2 seconds

Range: twenty meters

Mana: 15

Not a bad spell at all, although hardly useful for combat. Still, I cast it on everyone in the party and tell them about the effect.

“Check this out!” Rose folds her arms back and does a Naruto Run around in a circle at double speed. “Zoom zoom!”

Stoneburner and I both laugh.

“This should hasten our mission.” Burner says. “A fine spell indeed.”

Rose halts. “I should get to healing.” She begins casting on Spyce.

“Appreciate it,” Spyce says. “Dirk, you wanna investigate that chest? Better check it for traps.”

I nod and inspect it. Nothing seems awry so I move to open it. Like an old Zelda game, I pry open the gold-laced wooden box and dive into it, digging around to see what lay inside. There isn’t much to be had. Which in a way is good. We’d sent Hairy Meg back to Dawnshire with a max load of so-so crafting and trash loot. She should be back soon but for now, anything we find we have to carry.

Pristine Silver Emerald Necklace

Magical Necklace

Uncommon

2% physical damage reduction

2% magical damage reduction

Toothcutter

Magical Short Sword

Unique

Durability: 250/250

Damage: 3-35

+12 Strength

+10% Attack Speed

+8% Taunt

Level Two Key

Dungeon Item

“We got the second key, an amulet that isn’t worth much, plus a sword,” I say, backing out of the chest.

“That’s it?” Spyce asks.

I shrug. “Some gold, too.” I distribute the gold evenly among the party and read off the stats for the Necklace and Sword.

“Not something I’d use,” Spyce says. “Seems like a better fit for Stoneburner.”

“Stone?” I say, looking at him. “Want it?”

“If it pleases you all,” says the paladin. “’tis somewhat better than my current blade. Full durability, as well. Yon troll’s hide was not kind to my weapon.”

“Mine, either,” says Spyce, staring at her daggers.

Stoneburner holds out his hands. “Kindly hand them to me, fair lady. I am skilled in sharpening and restoring blades. It shan’t take long.”

Spyce complies and Stoneburner sits and begins using his skill, rubbing the edge of the blade over a whetstone and filling the dungeon with metal-on-stone scrapes.

“Got right down to business,” Spyce says when he returns the blades. She inspects them and slices them through the air. “Nice. Thank you.”

“’Tis my sincerest pleasure.”

With that finished, Stoneburner takes and equips Toothcutter. We all watch him swing the blade in big, sweeping strokes. It resembles a giant, sharpened bone, white and pristine. The devs claim there are hundreds of thousands of unique weapons in the game, not to mention shields, armor, and accessories. Toothcutter and the other items we’ve come across in this dungeon are completely new to me, which I like. Discovering new items is always a nice little thrill. That’s the beauty of King’s League. There’s so much content that you could play the game indefinitely and never see it all, especially since the devs continue to update it almost weekly.

Between Toothcutter and the shield he picked up from the lion, Stoneburner is making out like a bandit. Even Rose managed to find the staff plus a few accessories to help with her spells and mana. Nogg hasn’t found much yet, but I can always find some worthwhile equipment in the River Market if it comes down to it. And I’m not really using him in this playthrough anyway. Better for any equipment to go to the party members who are actually participating in the fight.

“Everyone ready for round two?” I ask. It’s still early in the day and I don’t plan on slowing down until I crash later tonight, which means we still have a long way to go.

“Ready,” says Spyce, “but I don’t think Dirk’s arrows were doing much in the fight. No offense.”

I shrug. “None taken.”

“Does Nogg have any spells that might help us take that thing down any faster?”

I think through his spell listing. Obviously he can deal some damage with his stave, but that’s limited use and not something I want to waste. The troll’s hide is too thick for the Bees of the Valley to do much. Fireball is always iffy in enclosed spaces, but I do get a fairly solid plan of attack in mind.

“I can have Nogg cast Solar Flare to start, that’ll blind the troll for three seconds, which should give Spyce the time to get in position for a back stab, and Stoneburner the ability to score a hit as well unless the troll acts crazy. After that, Lightning Storm will do some decent damage and should ignore the hide… but it might strike the two of you if you’re already in close.”

“Lightning Storm first, then Solar Flare, then we attack,” says Spyce, putting the strategy in the proper order before I have the opportunity to do the same.

“Well met!” says Stoneburner. “After such an opening volley, Friend Dirk will have time to switch back and use what arrows as he may.”

“This is a good plan,” Rose says. “I’d add that Nogg should stay in the fight long enough to cast a second Shield spell on Stoneburner. That way, after the initial spell is broken, he can take a second attack before the big healing has to begin.”

I smile. “This is great. We’ll be breezing past this troll in no time, you guys.”

* * *

By the time we’re ready to call it a night, Rose has nearly caught up with Stoneburner and Nogg—a byproduct of the greater and greater XP requirements with each new level. She is at 29, Stone 31, and Nogg 35. Not bad for a session. Even if that session took the whole day.

Her final level came when the troll falls for the last time. The golden hue surrounds her and she cheers so loud that it hurts my ears. One of those high-pitched, excited girl screams.

Not that I mind, of course. We’re all just as happy as she is.

“Congrats!” I tell her, right alongside Spyce, our voices nearly in sync.

Stoneburner bows to the healer. “Well earned, fair Rose. Your bloom grows by the hour.”

“Thank you all so much!” She jumps up and down. “I never thought I’d get this far in the game. You guys are awesome. I feel like I totally lucked out in joining this group.”

I’m about to tell everyone to call it there when Spyce pulls me aside.

“Something wrong?” I ask her.

“I know you were planning to stop here, but I don’t think we should.”

“We’ve been playing for hours. You don’t need something longer than a bathroom break?”

“I didn’t make it to level 99 by taking breaks,” she points out. “Neither did you. We need to keep going.”

I shake my head. “Maybe you and I don’t, but Stoneburner has a family. I don’t know what Rose has going on but a break isn’t a bad idea. Even if it’s just an hour or two.”

She opens her mouth to—I assume—argue, then shuts it. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just me and my cat. He doesn’t require much maintenance and bounty hunting earns me enough to not worry about a nine-to-five. I’m used to long hours but it’s not fair to expect them to do the same.”

“Exactly. Besides, the XP boost from Graydon’s Armor doesn’t hurt either, right? I mean, even with nonstop grinding this kind of thing would normally take—” I pause. “Well, a lot longer.”

“Fair enough,” she tells me. “But we’re close to where we need to be. No slacking.”

“Yes ma’am.” I glance back into the room at Stoneburner and Rose. “Tell you what, let’s see what the others think. If they’re tired, then we need to stop so they don’t burn out. If not, let’s keep our foot on the gas.”

* * *

We agree on an hour break. I decide to spend the time on a side project: getting Nogg better equipment at the River Market. He’s leveling up fast enough that his old gear isn’t really doing a whole lot.

From Dawnshire the quickest way for me to get to the River Market is on foot. It’s only about ten minutes but I decide to summon my spirit mount to cut down on time.

As usual the River Market is bustling with sellers, buyers, and those seeking a safe place to log out for the night. Besides the merchant stands you can also find shops like what we’ve been doing in Dawnshire except there aren’t any permanent structures. The actual city is across the river behind the great, high walls. Everything out here where the buying and selling happens is more reminiscent of a farmer’s market.

A perpetually packed one.

The devs have made sure to update the Market with periodic expansions but there’s always a wait. Right now the lines are long and crisscrossing every which way. It’s chaotic and reminds me of a retail store on Black Friday.

I shudder at the memory of the one time Brian and I participated in that particular event. It was before King’s League came out, but the pre-order was up, along with a list of computing requirements. Neither of us had the right equipment so we decided to score a good deal on the busiest shopping day of the year. We figured that everyone would crash the e-retailers and what we wanted would sell out so quick we wouldn’t even be able to add it to cart. But maybe by visiting a brick and mortar…

Turns out, I made a huge mistake. It was madness. The store had been understaffed and overrun by bloodthirsty shoppers who all wanted the same thing. It was the Thunderdome and three hundred pound monsters ramming larks into your shins and ankle were everywhere. Brian and I were near the front, and even working as a team we barely got the upgraded systems. An elderly woman legit whacked her cane into my thigh because she thought I wanted some cheap toaster oven she was after. Pretty sure she was aiming for my junk.

Never again.

Pushing the unpleasant thoughts from my mind, I search out a vendor that will have what I’m looking for. Some of the merchants carry gear and items specifically for higher level players. That section is slightly less crowded but there’s still a wait. Resigned, I join what I hope is a fast queue.

“I’m telling you, customer service is worthless,” a voice to my right says, grabbing my attention. It belongs to a player named Scrupulous_MLT who is standing in a different line with another player. “Most of the time it’s a recording and getting a live person to help is next to impossible.”

Catlady33: “Oh, I know. As much as I love this game I also kind of hate it. I love to hate it.”

Scrupulous_MLT: “I hear ya. Last week I wrote an email to the devs clearly showing them three inconsistencies and I have yet to get a response.”

Cat lady 33: “Don’t waste your time. That’s why they’re letting people submit their own plug-ins and mods. Heck, maybe we should apply.”

Both our lines move then, in opposite directions, and I miss the rest of what they say. I didn’t have any trouble with customer service when my account was hacked, but that was probably a higher-priority concern.

The wait is boring. With nothing else to do I decide to take a quick check of Salvatore’s channel to see if he’s posted anything new. It’s the usual click bait about upcoming announcements, so I don’t bother watching any of it.

There isn’t much on Fire Pants either. I look into the same forum that Spyce first discovered the guy and track down another video but this one is worse than the first, at least in terms of angles. I only get a view of the PKer’s back. If not for the flaming pants, I wouldn’t be able to say with any certainty who the player was.

The good news is they’re still in Hagz. I can’t wait until we’re able to go after him either. Fire Pants—whoever they are—is a jerk. A jerk with the power of a piece of Graydon’s armor set. It’s a good reminder of why we’re doing what we are. 86-Neon proved just how effective teamwork is, plus it’s fun leveling up with my friends, but Fire Pants is wreaking havoc and I have a growing feeling that it’s my job to stop him.

Sure, I could just leave him alone. He does only have the one piece after all. The last piece. But that’s not a good idea. He’s already demonstrating the kind of player he is and it’s not good. Not only that, but sooner or later (if not already) Fire Pants is going to work out that there’s more of the set to be found.

Then there’s Salvatore. He’s on the backburner—for now. I know better than to underestimate him. Getting everyone prepared for that eventuality can only be a good thing.

With that on my mind I finally make it to the front of the line and am greeted by an angry looking orc sporting a large gold ring in its nose. Sometimes the shops are run by players and this is one of them.

“What do you want?” the Orc spits out.

Such friendly, surly service.

The voice is rough and sounds like the player has been gargling with broken glass and motor oil. I’ll bet this guy runs his own stream for all the other hardcore merchants to watch.

“Buyin’ or selling?”

“Selling first,” I say.

A transaction window opens and I transfer all the loot from the dungeon that no one wanted. The leftovers aren’t really anything special, so I opt to sell instead of putting them in the guild chest. For minor stuff like this, the merchant probably has some presets in place so we can quickly deal in bulk.

The haul from the dungeon was pretty decent, and I accept a few hundred gold that goes immediately into the guild bank. Now it’s time to find Nogg something. He’s not a battle mage, so the best bet for him will be an enchanted robe.

“Show me what kind of enchanted robes you’ve got,” I say.

The orc grunts out a laugh.

A dizzying number of options present themselves. Nearly two hundred pages to scroll through. I can sort and filter, but this could take me all day. And it’s just one robe. There are other items I’ll want to grab to beyond that.

I get another idea. “Do you have any complete sets that include a Wizard’s Robe?”

“I got one complete set,” snarls the orc. “Here.”

Something called Shadwobane’s Set appears on a crude straw and burlap mannequin before me. It’s dark and pretty sweet looking. Very strong Batman vibes, though on the dummy, it looks like the Scarecrow raided Bruce Wayne’s closet.

Shadowbane's Focus:

Mask, Magical

Durability: 60/60

+25% chance to hit with any equipped weapon

+25% mana regeneration

The wearer cannot equip a helmet when wearing this item.

Shadowbane's Shroud:

Hooded Cloak, Magical

Durability: 100/100

+50% hide

+50% sneak

+25% mana regeneration

Shadowbane's Defense:

Pauldrons, Magical

Durability: 250/250

+75 health

+50 mana

Shadowbane's Pulse:

Vest, Magical

Durability: 150/150

+25% mana regeneration

+50 health

+75 mana

Shadowbane's Justice:

Arm Guards, Magical

Durability: 60/60

+35% casting speed

For all damage the wearer of Shadowbane's Justice takes, the wearer gains an equal amount of mana.

Shadowbane's Deceit:

Pants, Magical

Durability 60/60

+25% mana regeneration

+100% hide, while in shadow or night

+50% sneak, while in shadow or night

Shadowbane's Haste:

Boots, Magical

Durability 60/60

+50% movement and attack speed

+25% mana regeneration

Holy crap this is nice. Each one of these items individually must’ve gotten whoever sold it some serious cash. I wince when I see the price tag. Fifteen hundred bucks. That’s right, dollars. Not gold or any other in-game currency. Legal tender.

Oof. I want this set for Nogg. At the same time… expensive! And it’s not even unique. But it is damn useful.

Maybe I can negotiate aaaand… nope.

Whoever runs this store isn’t willing to sell it for anything else, I can see that by the icons beneath the total. Cash only. No haggle. Accepts bitcoin. Well, that’s nice, at least.

It’s a tall order, but I can afford it. I’ll be able to afford a lot more if Nogg levels up and we’re able to operate as a high-level raid team. I’d planned on surprising Brian with the new levels. Looks like he’s also getting an early Christmas present.

I pay the fee and the set is added to my inventory.

“Anything else?” asks the orc before any buyer’s remorse can set it.

I almost say no, feeling like I’ve blown enough cash in one sitting. Then change my mind. “Got any teleportation stones?”

“Sure,” he replies. Some of the gruffness is gone, likely because the Orc is about to make yet another profit. “Might have a few left in the back.”

In the back. Dude’s standing behind the counter of a tent. There is no back. It’s all back.

Teleportation stones appear in the buyer screen. He has eleven to sell and wants seven hundred gold apiece. I do the math in my head for what I want and feel faint. I’m about to become living proof of how this game makes so much money. But first, some due diligence because seven hundred seems really high. I pull out my phone and check a price app that shows values on the open market. As I expected, these are typically going for less. Between two hundred and three hundred a piece. So the price here is because the seller has set a limit. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker, though. He may just be trying to encourage people to haggle with the hopes of still getting an above market price.

“Would you give a discount if I buy in bulk?” I ask, hoping he actually is down to haggle.

The merchant crosses his arms and gives me a beady eye. “Define ‘bulk.’”

A good sign. The practice of haggling is not only accepted at the River Market but encouraged. I got to be pretty good at the skill as a seller but haven’t really had much occasion to haggle from the buying end. It seems I’m about to get my chance.

My plan is to buy at least seven teleportation stones. This way, the group has two teleportation stones each since Dirk, Nogg, and Stone already have one. Like me, the others can anchor one of their stones to Dawnshire and always have that option available. I’ll also have some left over for future use. Plus, I already mentioned buying in bulk. So what am I gonna do now, say “two?”

“I’ll buy seven of your teleportation stones for three hundred each.”

“Ha! You think I was born yesterday, human? No deal. Best I can do is six hundred.”

Give me a break. I shake my head and come up with a counteroffer. This is fun. “No deal, but how about this. Four hundred each, plus I’ll buy four of the single use teleportation scrolls. Eight hundred total on the four.”

The Orc’s eyes widen slightly, telling me I’ve surprised him. He likely doesn’t have anyone drop that kind of money in one go very often. “Still, you waste my time,” he says, recovering quickly. “Five hundred for the stones, two-fifty for the single use.”

It’s not a bad deal but I think I can do better. “No. I’m sure there’s another merchant willing to do business and not rip me off.”

I start to walk away when the Orc calls out, “Whoa, whoa. I thought we were haggling? No one’s ripping anyone off here.”

“Sorry,” I say, turning back. “Didn’t mean to offend. Here’s my final offer. Four-fifty each for the stones, two-fifty each for the scrolls.”

The merchant scratches his chin and pretends to think about it. He doesn’t have me fooled though; I know he’s going to accept. No one is crazy enough to turn down over four thousand dollars in one transaction.

Predictably, the Orc nods. “Deal.”

We finish up our business and I begin to make my way out of the town.

“Excuse me, are you Dirk from Dawnshire?”

I turn to see a female Draconi named HellKat standing behind me. They’re a pretty cool race but don’t really have any magic abilities, so they’re less popular. What they do have is thick skin more like armored plates that can take heavy damage and even repel magic.

“Uh,” I say, caught off guard. “Yeah, that’s me.”

The Draconi crosses her arms and shoots me what I think is a disapproving look. “You should be ashamed of yourself. All that talk about Salvatore and the Dark Riders being player killers but you do the same thing?”

“I’m sorry, what?” I’m completely flabbergasted. What is she talking about?

“Oh, come off it,” Hellkat sneers. “We all saw the video of you and Salvatore. He begged for you not to kill him at the end and you did it anyway. All so you could control some stupid town.”

All I can do is stare at her for a few seconds. “Maybe you should watch all of the videos,” I finally say. “Salvatore tried to kill me multiple times. Then he challenged me to a duel because he wanted to take over the town I put all the work into creating.”

Hellkat jerks, breaking her stiff posture. “I don’t believe you. Salvatore has finally started streaming again and he’s nothing but helpful to new players. A lot of us depended on his channel to learn and thanks to you we’ve missed out.”

Okay, now I’m starting to get a little pissed. “You don’t have to believe me,” I retort. “Why don’t you check out my channel, or any number of others that have the full story. Maybe do a little research before you start badgering people.”

I don’t give her a chance to reply and turn on my heel to leave. How can this person think Salvatore was the good guy? After everything the jerk did, it blows me away that he still has loyal followers. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. He hid his nefarious plans well and most of the community didn't see his true persona. Still don’t, if that conversation is any indicator.

It doesn’t matter, though. Plenty of people know the truth and I’m not going to waste time fretting about those who don’t. I cast the teleportation stone that will take me back to Dawnshire. I’ve got bigger things to worry about.

13

We’re all together again and everyone looks excited to continue grinding. I think back to when I was going off on marathon sessions with Dirk to climb up the leveling ladder. When I recall all the time I’d spent playing King’s League only to ever reaching level 30 and losing it all… man. Once I obtained Graydon’s Sight, it was almost intoxicating to level up at the rate Stoneburner and Rose are now experiencing.

I guess what I’m saying is that it’s easy to understand what they’re feeling, but I’m still grateful for their dedication. Because as fast as they’re gaining levels, we still have a ways to go. That includes me, too. Our tactics are getting stronger and we’re working as a team. A huge step.

Even though I have yet to meet Stoneburner, Spyce, or Rose outside of the game, I feel confident they won’t stab me in the back.

Okay. I hope they won’t stab me in the back.

“Here we go,” I say, readying my weapon. We’re standing outside the level three door. “I just ran through here last time. The only thing I really remember about the mobs is that they are loosely oriented around the Greek mythos. Harpies, centaurs, wraiths, and boars.”

“The boss is a minotaur,” Spyce adds. “I looked it up on our last break. The wraiths will be the first thing we encounter.”

“They have a habit of going incorporeal,” I recalled. “They’ll reappear and scream to stun you, then attack. Usually with a scythe or poison spit.”

“Wait,” says Rose. “I think I have a spell for that. Here it is.”

When she casts the spell, I see that it works as a buff that reduces poison damage by 16 percent for a duration of ten minutes.

"That's good and you should practice using it, Rose. If any of us get into serious trouble with the poison, I can always use my 'Lay Hands' spell or my Ranger's 'Commune with Nature ability but it’s better for you to get familiar with your new spells as soon as possible."

“Thank you, fair Rose.” Stoneburner drops into a bow, making the healer laugh.

“I don’t know how you stay in character like that,” she comments. “My cousin started doing that when he went to Seas of Blood. The only problem now is he doesn’t stop, even when he’s not playing.”

“That is not a possibility for me,” Stoneburner says, his voice going to a conspiratorial whisper. “I do believe my wife would murder me in my sleep if didn’t break character in the real realm.”

That gets a laugh out of all of us. It feels good to “make merry” with the group as Burner would say. I’ve been playing King’s League a long time and I can’t help but think that this is how the game should truly be played. Something to be enjoyed. Not just a place to make money.

Enjoyed with friends.

Maybe this is what the devs wanted all along instead of the cutthroat gaming experience King’s League has become in so many ways. But then… they allowed it to get that way, so who knows?

“You ready, Dirk?” asks Spyce, and I realize the group is staring at me.

“Sorry,” I reply, shaking my head. “Must’ve zoned out. No big deal. Let’s go in. I know we are practicing with Stone as the tank, but I'll lead the way this time. Those wraiths can be nasty and our ability to cure poisons are limited without having to break off to return for more potions. My spells can only do so much and Rose’s only reduces damage. Doesn’t erase effects. Once we’re all in position, Burner, you take over in the role of the tank."

"As you wish, friend Dirk."

"Room after this,” I continue, “you lead the charge like we’ve been doing. Don’t be afraid to get in there.”

"A fine plan. Your wisdom is unequaled in all the realm."

I snort at the exaltation. "Well, that's debatable.”

“Glad you said it or I would’ve,” jabs Spyce.

I give a sly, half smile. “Ok, guys, let's do this.”

No one asks for more time, so I move through the entryway. The second I’m within range, a brazier lights with green fire that roars to life. I’m momentarily distracted by the dazzling light show as the first brilliant flame nearly licks the ceiling.

The effect is so realistic that my brain is tricked for a second into thinking that the flame might actually burn me. I’m able to keep myself from jumping back, but just. The only problem is that I’m so focused on the light show that I don’t get eyes on the wraiths until one screams to my right.

“Dirk, look out!” yells Spyce.

I spin with my Vampiric Sword raised to meet the threat, but the motion is clumsy because I wasn’t ready and the wraith’s scream succeeds in stunning me. I take a stutter step back and lose my initiative as the creature seems to spew out liquid darkness from beneath its swirling black robes. That’s the poison attack. Crap. Real smooth, Dirk.

Like an avenging angel, Spyce rushes past me and starts to deliver a flurry of short strikes with her daggers. I appreciate her quick response. I shake off the stun and Stoneburner steps up to the plate to gain aggro.

Rose gets busy healing me and it doesn’t take long before I’m nearly full again. Stoneburner raises Toothcutter and swings it in a wide arc. Except the blade slices through nothing but air. The wraith has vanished.

“Stay sharp,” I say, turning from side to side.

A screech, this time to my left, has me moving instinctively into a roll that will take me out of the stunner’s path. It works and I raise my sword once more. Before I can make a move, another wraith screams from behind me.

This is getting out of hand. Now there are two of them.

“We’ve got company,” Spyce announces.

From that point on, no one talks unless it’s calling out a warning or requesting aid. More wraiths are drawn to the melee and we work as a unit to dispatch them until no more attack. Hairy Meg is back and loots the piles of rags that fall with each slain enemy almost the moment they hit the floor. It's comical to see her running around as the battle is raging. When the last one falls, Spyce rounds on me.

“What was that?” she demands. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”

I can tell she’s not as angry as she sounds. But there’s some real emotion in her voice. Is that concern I hear? “Sorry, it’s the new headset,” I confess. “Inertia. I’m not used to the updated graphics. It can be a little distracting.”

“Oh. Yeah,” she says, already sounding subdued. “I guess I remember that being a thing when I first got mine.” She quickly recovers from understanding mode and lets me have it again. “Well, maybe this wasn’t the best time to test that out.”

“Maybe you’re right,” I agree. “But I’d rather get used to it down here with you and the others watching my back than on my own.”

“We’ve got you covered,” Rose says, sounding eager to patch up whatever rift she thinks might be taking place.

I nod to her and tell her thanks. “Anyway, I think I can handle it moving forward now that I know what to expect.”

"And knowledge is indeed half of the battle," Stoneburner adds.

"Yo, Joe," I exclaim and raise my sword to the air.

"What is happening right now?" Rose is looking from me to Stoneburner as if we’ve grown extra limbs.

Spyce lets out a weighty sigh. "Just ignore them. They are having another nerd moment."

"Oh, ok." Rose still looks a bit confused, but she continues, "I watched an unboxing of the 'Inertia' helmet. It looked really cool. I hope I can afford something like that someday."

“You will,” I tell her. “Just look at what you’ve accomplished grinding this dungeon in the last couple of days. Speaking of, we should move on. I think the boars are next. Did you take a hit?”

“One,” Rose says and quickly adds, “but just one. I’m fine.”

“Great. Hold on a sec, I’ll get Nogg to cast shield on you again and we’ll be ready.”

Spyce grimaces while I work. “Don’t take the boars for granted,” she tells the group. “They’re supposed to be pretty vicious.”

“They are,” I confirm. “It’s not one at a time. It’s a pack. They can throw you pretty far and those tusks are like being skewered by a spear. We’ll all need to be careful but especially Rose. These things will focus their attacks on whoever they think is weakest. Kill us off one-by-one before we can do the same to them.”

“Enough talk,” Spyce says. “Are we ready?”

Everyone says they are and I give some last second tactical advice. “Time to get these levels up for you guys. For these mobs, Stone, we are gonna work on a simple but effective attack strategy. 'Dodge, stun, attack.' It works well against these boars. Watch Spyce and me for different techniques."

I nod at Spyce, who adds, “Everyone has their own preference and style of how they might dodge or how they might attack, but the principle is the same. And yes, some opponents like these boars can be stunned easily with a hit to their legs, so that is a strategic advantage to exploit it. Alright, less talking, more fighting. Let's go.”

We move into the next section of the dungeon and are immediately beset by the pack of boars. Stoneburner gets behind his shield and stuns as many as he can. The pack swarms around him like a river being parted by a great boulder. There’s probably only ten of them, but it feels like way more. Their screeches and grunts are almost deafening as they echo across the dungeon level. I think I preferred the wraith’s spectral wails.

The boar who gets behind Stoneburner seeks to hit him in the back with their great tusks. It’s a testimony to his strength and armor that he wasn’t flattened by the rushing mob in the first place. Spyce and I are there to go in swinging, slashing their backs and hind quarters and drawing them away from Burner.

Thirty seconds in and Stoneburner is bashing and stunning at least ten boars while Rose heals him as fast as she can. Spyce and I have each pulled away five of our own and we’re dodging and dancing as they charge and swing their heads up at us, dealing damage as we can.

It’s difficult to get a solid hit because they can block with their tusks and the little bastards use those tusks like they’re in a fencing match whenever we attempt to strike. They’re pretty agile and nimble for pigs, jumping back to avoid our attack, then going in for a fast strike.

Even though my new gear shows actual drool dripping from the boars and puffs of breath mist the air when they snort, I don’t let myself get distracted. The focus here is on killing one at a time as quickly as possible. There’s too many in the pack to keep aggro on just one of us and it forces us to break up or run the risk of the entire pack concentrating on our little trio.

When I’d come through on my own, I hadn’t given the mobs much thought. Fireballs, hack, slash, rinse, repeat. At my level, the few times I’d been gored hadn’t done much to bring my health down. Working here as a mentor, I’m not nearly as invulnerable and right now the splash damage from fireballs would hurt my teammates, so I take the time to dodge the next incoming charge with a roll.

“Excellent technique, friend Dirk,” Stoneburner calls out after copying the move and narrowly escaping getting a tusk in his ass. Spyce—unsurprisingly—is already working on taking down what looks to be her third boar with a flurry of quick strikes.

“Watch out for when it doubles back, Burner,” I warn, having just leaped back to avoid the same.

Stoneburner isn’t quite fast enough and I see him flying head over heels as the great boar launches him upward with a powerful thrust of his thick neck and shoulders. The paladin lands in a heap, and I wince at the sound of all that armor crashing to the hard stone floor. I can see he’s momentarily stunned by the attack and he informs us that he’s down a quarter of his health.

Rose quickly works on healing and I want to get in there and keep him from getting trampled when in the next instant the boar I’ve been stabbing and dodging lets out another bellow and charges me again. I strafe right and let the animal rush by. It turns and sets for another charge. The thing isn’t going to lose interest in me and I can’t turn my back on it.

I opt for precision as it passes, feeling like a matador. Only I’m going for the kill right away. Not about to drag this out. My attack connects with one of the back legs, causing my quarry to stumble and land awkwardly on its stomach. I follow up with a heavy combo attack that finishes the job, my Vampiric Blade skewering the thing’s skull and pinning it to the floor. It wriggles and writhes a little while longer before finally dying.

Stoneburner has managed to get to his feet, but the boars smell blood and are charging him one after the other. He bashes his shield against them, diverting them left and right, occasional cracking their tusks. But it’s taking a toll. He’s growing weak and it looks like he’s unable to push the heavy animals off as easily as he once was.

I rush to him and put my hand on his back to cast Regeneration. That along with Rose’s work will help him keep his HP up. I look for our healer and find that she’s climbed on top of a toppled stone column. There are boars running around beneath her, but their tusks aren’t able to reach and they soon grow bored and seek other targets. One particularly stubborn creature won’t give up, though. It’s running at full speed and ramming its head into the pillar, hoping to make Rose lose her balance.

That gives me an idea. No, not the ramming my head into a hard object thing. I do that enough as it is. There’s an empty pillar next to her column that has my attention.

I deliver a deep cut to a boar that Stoneburner has stunned and then sprint toward Rose. On my way, I hit the boar who’s been trying to knock her down by driving my blade into its flanks. The little piggy screams in pain as I put a foot against its side and pull my blade back out. Another flurry of slashes and it's dead.

The pillar looks like the sort that once supported a marble statue—the fragments of which I’m pretty sure I saw scattered on the floor on my way over. I leap up and land atop of it, now out of the boars’ reach the same as Rose. “Nice thinking,” I tell her and then replace my Vampiric Blade with my bow.

I should be able to deal much more damage up here like this. Time to use some Arrows of… Deep Hurting. I take my time and draw beads on the boar, waiting for when they slow to turn around and charge after being parried or dodged by Spyce or Stoneburner. Their hooves scramble from traction from the sudden attempt to shift momentum, giving me a prime shot at an eye, throat, liver, or other critical spot.

Soon the boars are sporting a new feathered accessory that sticks out of their bodies and delivers little blood trails wherever they go. Occasionally I’m getting a kill shot, but each hit is slowing them down, making them all the easier for Stoneburner and Spyce to finish the job.

I’m about to jump off my pillar and get to finishing things off up close with the blade when I hear Hairy Megg cry out, “Master, you’re hurt!”

My heart sinks and I look over to where we’d stashed Nogg. He’s still in his corner but there’s a lone boar battering him with his tusks. Oh crap. My heart sinks and quickly processes some potential ways to fix this before Nogg is dead. I could rush to assume control and probably one-hit-kill that thing by using a charge from his ice stave, but I have no idea if Nogg will live long enough for that.

I decide that my best opportunity is to take the boar down from where I stand. I ready an arrow and see from the corner of my eye that Spyce is already racing to help as well. My heart is pounding and then I see what I want to hit—the pig’s little gleaming eye as it raises its head from knocking Nogg down.

The arrow of Deep Hurting goes loose and strikes the pig right in the old vision orb, which bursts into a sort of jelly that is disgusting and has me wondering what other stomach-turning images I might be subject to thanks to his new headset.

I ready a second arrow, but there’s no need. The critical hit brought enough pain to finish what must have been an already wounded boar down to zero HP.

“Rose,” Spyce calls.

“On it,” our healer shouts and then leaps off of her perch and rushes toward Nogg, casting as she goes. I’m impressed by the bravery and selflessness she’s showing for the good of the party. Her most powerful spells will have a higher effect if she can touch as she casts. There are fewer animals to deal with, but this place is hardly empty of danger.

“He’s okay,” she reports, and soon Nogg is standing dumbly again in his place.

I turn my attention back to the rest of the animals, wanting to be sure that none get behind me to attack Rose or Nogg. That was way too close.

We have the remaining boars cleared out in under ten minutes. By the time it’s done, Stoneburner has already gained more confidence and even tried out some new moves. It makes me think back to our first meeting in the Broken Lands. We’ve both come a long way from battling slimes.

“What’s next?” asks Rose. “Because whatever it is, we need to have better security for Nogg. That was almost a disaster.”

She’s right. Especially for what comes after the boars. I grimace thinking of the last time I fought them. While they hadn’t come close to killing me, this particular mob was a nuisance. I also need to be more careful this time around because of my reduced stats. Mentoring is nice but not always. “Harpies,” I say. “Nasty things, and they won’t be a cakewalk. They like to dive bomb you.”

The harpies, like all of the mobs in King’s League, are designed around the known myths and lore from which they sprang.

They don’t have regular arms, just wings. The feet are talons like that of an eagle or some other bird of prey. Deep purple feathers cover the wings and upper torso. Like every source material on harpies I’ve seen, the mob has a bird-like head and human breasts. Unlike the real thing, the harpies’ chests are covered in feathers. Enough to make them modest, so to speak.

Unless you pluck them, I suppose.

“Don’t let them grab you,” Spyce adds. “They can fly you up to the ceiling and drop you. If the room has high enough ceilings—and it does—the fall damage can kill you.”

Stoneburner offers one of his signature bows. “Thank you for imparting your great wisdom upon us, fair Spyce.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she says, waving a hand. “Let’s stop standing around. We still have a long way to go. What’s the plan to keep the wizard alive?”

“If we can get him under some cover in the room and turn off the follow mode, we can leave him there and he should be okay,” I tell the team. The harpies will stay airborne if we keep up damage. Once damaged, they won’t go to ground unless it’s to finish us off. As I recall, there are some stone ledges the devs put in to help you hide from swoop attacks.”

“Fine,” says Spyce. “Burner goes in first. I follow. You rush Nogg to a safe spot and then come in with Dirk. Rose, enter after that and start healing. Keep an eye on Nogg as well. Everyone got it?” She doesn’t wait for an answer. “Good. Let’s go.”

The pep talk sounds a little harsh but when Spyce turns to lead the way, I see her smiling. It makes me smile too. Our party is starting to really shine as a cohesive group. I’m reminded of a football team. She’s the disciplinarian and I’m the player’s coach.

While I didn’t play, I studied a lot of game and practice film with my college team for analytics. There’s a certain chemisty required to have a good team. Players not only have to work well together, but they also have to know each other. Not in the sense of who’s your favorite Bond girl, though that comes along too, especially if you’re winning. But more along the lines of… you have to know what the other guy will do in any given situation. That way you can react accordingly and your team performance will be enhanced. You see that a lot if you watch games, especially in the backfield where corners and safeties misread what the other is planning and give up a big play. Watch. They’ll be yacking at each other over what happened and what should have happened.

It’s not just dudes running around sweating. There’s very real tactics and strategy involved.

Anyway, the same principle holds true for families or roommates. You get to know the things that make people who they are. Little idiosyncrasies that make up the individual. In any group setting this is used to make things run smoothly. A gaming party is no different.

We’re all learning from each other and playing to our strengths. Rose is still figuring out a lot of basic mechanics, but she is definitely growing in her healing specialty. Spyce is agile and attacks with a speed no one else has. Stoneburner is getting adept at the role of the tank as well as performing some decent offensive fighting techniques.

And me? Well, I guess that I'm starting to learn what it's like to play as a team again. I haven't had that since I lost my position on staff. For an introvert like myself, this game is too easy to play solo. Like a lone wolf. Awoooo! But yeah, I'm kind of liking this "pack" thing that we have going on right now.

All in all, I’m feeling pretty proud. We might not be at the top just yet, but that will come soon enough.

“Spyce is right,” I agree. “Stoneburner, when you go in—”

Before I can finish my sentence, Stoneburner slams Toothcutter against his shield and sprints forward. “I dare say we can take these harpies, don’t you?” he calls over his shoulder before turning forward again and yelling a phrase that almost every gamer knows too well. And dreads. “Leeeeeeroy Jenkins!”

Oh no. This isn’t good. What is he thinking?

“Hey!” I call after him, feeling powerless.

“What the hell is wrong with him?” Spyce snaps, apparently thinking along the same lines as me.

Rose just looks confused. “Are we going to follow him?”

I take off in response. Spyce is right on my heels, followed by Rose and Nogg, who’s still set to follow the team and who I haven’t taken control over yet.

By the time I catch up to Stoneburner, he’s standing at the door leading to the harpies’ layer. “Surely, you did not think I would attempt such a foolish thing? Even in jest.”

We stand there silently for a moment and then one by one break out in laughter.

“You’re a madman, Burner,” I say.

Spyce is trying hard to banish the smile on her face. She finally gets it to disappear and points her finger at Stoneburner. “Do that again and I’ll kill you myself.”

“My comedic performance shall be a one-time only affair in such case, fair Spyce.” There’s a twinkle in Stoneburner’s eye. “However… gotcha!”

14

The harpies start descending the moment we push into the door. I send Nogg in and find a shelf for him to hide under and then quickly switch back to Dirk. By the time Dirk is in the room I can see that there’s more than a dozen of the winged uglies. Stoneburner is on the defensive, rolling and dodging to avoid being picked up by the attackers. My bow ready, and the targets rich, I feel like I can’t miss. At least not by much.

I loose an arrow without taking time to do more than eyeball my target. The arrow strikes a harpy in the wing. Not a critical hit but enough to cause the monster to lose its ability to fly smoothly. It lands and attempts to attack Stoneburner up close, raking claws against his shield and then finding Spyce’s daggers plunged between its shoulder blades.

As I nock another arrow, Spyce turns and hurls a dagger at a swooping attacker, burying it in the creature’s abdomen. It shrieks and pulls up into the darkness high above. There’s no telling how tall these ceilings are but judging by how the harpies are swooping down in their attacks, they’ve got some room.

We’re all in position and doing good work, but there are too many of the monsters to keep from being hit. I see Stoneburner bash his shield into one of the creatures that hovers just above it only to be grabbed by the shoulder and lifted into the air by another. The first harpy looks happy at the prospect of disemboweling Burner, and I make the decision to shoot it first. The arrow goes straight into the thing’s neck and it hurls itself straight up as gouts of blood rain down.

So that worked.

But the second harpy carrying Stoneburner has put some altitude of its own between it and my bow. To make matters worse, it’s flying irregularly—whether from the weight of all of Burner’s armor or because of injuries, I don’t know. But I do know that I can’t guarantee that I won’t hit Stoneburner with the way the thing is laboring along erratically.

I decide to use my 'Commune with Nature ability.' I can only use it once per day and now seems like a good time. It allows me to have immunity to poison or to be able to calm a beast of equal or lesser level for 60 seconds. I’m pretty sure a harpy counts as a beast. It’s definitely not an NPC.

I get my answer as the beast begins to softly lower itself to the ground where it releases Stoneburner. He’s banged up, and his health bar shows only about two-thirds full. As he gets back to his feet, more of the monsters are already looking ready to dive for him. I look for Rose, who is watching Spyce in combat, seeking an opportunity to help her.

“Rose, start healing Stoneburner!” I say, moving forward to get a better chance of dealing more damage.

The healer rushes forward, her hands outstretched as she begins to cast. Her eyes are fixed to Stoneburner and she misses a nearby mob who starts to take an interest in her.

Spyce beats me to the punch and yells out a warning. “Don’t get too close!”

It’s too late. Rose has managed to draw aggro and the mob focuses on her. She lets out a scream and disappears beneath a flurry of wings.

“Rose, Swift Feet!” I yell, hoping she takes my meaning.

The spell is still active since I had Nogg cast it on us all. Or at least I hope it is. It's way too easy to lose track of time while playing and I honestly don't know how long it has been. My breath catches as I wait to see if Rose is going to make it from behind my bow. Moments later she’s zooming out from behind the mob and I start breathing again, releasing a shot into the harpies once she’s clear.

For those few seconds, time had almost suspended and I’d envisioned Rose dying. If either her or Stoneburner die, we’ll have to start them all over again leveling up from zero. I don’t want to do that. But more importantly, we don’t have the time to do that.

Stoneburner has recovered fully to his feet and is banging his sword against his shield again, taunting the mob. It works and he regains the aggro. With Rose having zoomed away from the harpies’ talons, Spyce, Stoneburner and I settle in to take out the rest.

The reminder of Swift Feet has all of us changing tactics. Instead of standing and going toe-to-toe, Stoneburner only slows down enough to slash at the enemy and then is zooming out of their reach, enraging them. Spyce is doing much the same, positioning herself to deliver backstabs. I’m zipping into clear shooting positions and feeling like the Flash’s slightly slower cousin.

Either way, by moving so much, we’ve taken away their opportunity to repeatedly dive-bomb us. The monsters are in disarray, hovering in midair and looking angrily for an angle of attack only for it to vanish as we dart and move.

We’re playing well together and it’s feeling good. One of my arrows buries itself in the neck of a harpy. The attack manages to stun the creature and she drops like a rock to the ground.

“Stone, take her out!” I call out.

He doesn’t waste any time. Rushing forward and swinging Toothcutter the Paladin activates an attack that makes the sword glow green and after five well placed strikes the harpy is dead.

I want to ask him what skill he just used—later of course. We’re busy now.

Spyce shouts, “Guys!”

Both Stoneburner and I look over to see she has her Guided Darts out now instead of the daggers. She calls out, “I’m going to stun another one, Stoneburner. Be ready.”

“Of course, my lady.”

He readies Toothcutter and his shield once more just as the next harpy begins to fall.

I realize that I’ve been standing in the same spot a hair too long and it’s time to get a move on. The beating of heavy wings directly above me prompts me to look up. Sure enough a harpy is hovering and ready to strike.

Strafing right, I nock an arrow and let it loose. The harpy bobs out of the way and the projectile flies past.

Lame.

Right into a different harpy.

Huzzah!

Uh oh. I’ve accidentally gained aggro on another of the creatures.

Lame.

The first starts to dive and I’m forced to evade by diving for the floor. The tactic gets me out of the way but I come up as the second harpy hits me. Talons clamp around my arm, then I’m in the air. It’s got both of my arms, holding them out to my side so that I can’t physically attack the thing unless I do one of those bicycle soccer kicks. I try to wrestle an arm free, but these boobed-bird bastards are strong. About all I can do is rotate my wrist.

Well, I guess I can aim a fireball that way.

I turn my palm upward and cast the spell, checking down to see how much fall damage I’m liable to take. It’s not too bad, but there’s something more alarming. Stoneburner is struggling and even up here I can see something has gone wrong.

His health is down, though I can’t quite make out how much. Rose has a healing spell going. Spyce is moving in but my view is cut off when everything above me bursts into a ball of flames. I take splash damage as the harpy begins to circle and plummet toward the ground like an allied bomber that took too much flak over the target. Feathers are burning and smoking, but it’s still got me in its grip.

Guess I’ll cast another fireball.

This time the harpy lets go of one arm and I’m dangling from its grip on my other arm, still overhead and looking down at what’s below. I don’t think it’s my imagination that the stupid bird-lady is taking me up. Everyone is starting to look just a wee bit smaller.

I try to hack at the creature’s leg, hoping it’ll let go of my other arm and let me fall. No such luck, the talon that had let my free arm go is groping to capture me again. I fend off its clasping attacks again and again. It’s like a sword fight but the other sword is an eagle’s foot and appears to be covered in… harpy guano. Nice.

“Dirk, stop struggling!” Spyce commands. If it weren’t for our team chat, I’m not sure I’d hear here all the way up here.

I do as she says. The harpy is almost to the ceiling now and my friends look a lot smaller than they normally do.

What is this, a dungeon for ants?

It goes through my head that I don’t know how good Spyce’s aim will be at this distance.

Hell, if she wanted to, this would be the perfect opportunity for her to take me out. I’m at a distinct disadvantage right now. Vulnerable. At her level she can just hit me with enough darts while I’m too tied up to do anything about it. Once I’m dead, Stoneburner and Rose would be easy enough kills as well.

But she’s on our side. I have to trust that she won’t kill me on purpose. Following her instruction, I stop moving. The soft thunk of her dart hitting the harpy in the neck vindicates my thinking.

It works, stunning the mob. Unfortunately for me, it still doesn’t let go. As the harpy plummets toward the cavern floor I prepare myself for a hard landing, struggling to get on top of her with the hopes that her body will absorb most of the impact.

I get on top of it, riding the monster like its Falkor from Neverending Story all the way down into the stone floor. We crash into the ground in a tangle of feathers and limbs but I’m finally free. Between the attack and fall, my health has dropped by 17%. Not terrible, but it’s a good reminder to not let myself grow lax. I should’ve kept moving.

I come up and with my Gladius of Arcing still equipped. Sparks dance along the length of the blade as I raise it over the harpy's head. The strike to the back of its neck combined with the blade's lightning damage have greater impact than I was expecting. The harpy's head is severed and rolls to my feet.

Well, that was graphic.

“You good?” asks Spyce from behind me.

I turn and nod back, still coming down from the adrenaline high. Even though the game isn’t real the body still reacts to the high stress situations.

“Be careful,” she replies.

I cast Regeneration and then Rose zips my health back up to full. I could get used to having a good healer around like this on a more permanent basis.

“Hey, I’m getting better at that,” she says with a bright smile. “Didn’t even have to ask me!”

“You rock, Rose. Looks like we’re about done here. Let’s finish this.”

Once again, we attack. There are only a small handful of mobs left and the task doesn’t take more than twenty minutes. I manage to ask Stoneburner about what I saw from the air. He looks fine now.

“Ah!” He says between slashes at the final harpy. “Yon beast did strike me in the crown jewels. I was not aware such an attack would stun me so—even with mine codpiece.”

“Even with mine codpiece,” I repeat, readying my arrow to finish the final monster off. “You just think this stuff up on the fly or have you been waiting to use that one?”

“I know not what you mean, friend Dirk,” Stoneburner says, mischievous through and through.

The harpy comes down a second after my bow twangs, leaving us victorious. I check on where we stashed Nogg and find that he’s just fine—no damage taken.

“So,” Rose cuts in. “Who’s ready for the next fight?”

15

There’s one more mob between us and the Level 3 boss. In keeping with the Grecian theme a high level minotaur awaits us in the maze. During my first run through the dungeon on my own I’d mostly just used the real-life theory of always going left. It hadn’t gotten me anywhere because the maze walls were magical, and I kept getting lost by accidentally passing through fake portions. Not wanting to spend all night chasing my tail this time around, I’d looked up a map and shared it with the party.

“I’ve got the map open so we don’t get lost,” Spyce comments.

“Good,” I reply, still feeling confident from the way the team gelled in finishing off the harpies. “Keep in mind the minotaur roams the entire maze. But it won’t be alone. Along the way we’ll be dealing with a variety of randomly spawning mobs. I remember cobras, more boars, and a giant centipede thing.”

“Milli-stingers,” Spyce adds helpfully. “Don’t forget the satyrs. They aren’t all that big but they have dark fireballs and carry a flute of some kind that has a chance to cause confusion in players. The animation you get is akin to being really drunk—the screen gets all blurry and wavy.”

I nod, remembering. “That’s right. There are nymphs, too. They can trip you up with the vines growing around the walls. If you aren’t careful, they’ll even pull you into the maze.”

“This sounds like it should be the boss,” Rose murmurs.

“Do not fear, fair Rose. Verily, I believe we will overcome this new challenge.” For some reason it’s comforting to hear Stoneburner when he’s in character like this.

“He’s right,” I say to her. “As long as we stick together and stay sharp, it will be achievable.”

When everyone is ready, I step into the maze.

Spyce says that there are two route options. One involves running into the max number of mobs, plus whatever random stuff comes up but has a lesser chance of hitting the minotaur. The other involves going straight for the minotaur and then dealing with whatever random mobs may come before reaching the boss at the middle of the labyrinth.

“Whatever we choose, we need to do it quick,” she says. “Otherwise the minotaur will potentially roam far enough that even if we take the direct route, we’ll miss him and then have to retrace our steps.”

“Let’s take down the minotaur first,” I say. “He’s tough and the last thing we want is to be caught up in a fight with a big spawn only for him to show up and start dealing damage.”

No one objects and so Spyce leads us on that course. “Left here then right, straight through the next three intersections and another left.”

We begin to move through the maze. The thing about this area is that the quarters are really tight. Just wide enough for two of us to travel side-by-side. Because of this, we order ourselves with Dirk in the lead followed by Stoneburner, then Nogg auto-trailing, then Rose and finally Spyce. My hope is that anything we encounter head-on will be handled by Dirk, and anything that sneaks behind us Spyce can handle. If she can’t, I can switch to Nogg and provide support there.

We’ve got all our buffs going, Protection, Regeneration and Swift Feet—but we don’t use that much, opting to move slowly instead of burning our way through the labyrinth and potentially drawing aggro from the mobs we blow past so that we’re playing a King’s League version of Pac Man.

It isn’t long before our first enemy reveals itself—the corridor ahead of us is teeming with vines. “Nymphs ahead,” I call to the team.

“Okay,” says Spyce. “How do we want to handle this?”

“I’ve got an idea. Same way I did it last time, just stand back to be safe.”

The party takes a few steps back and then I begin hurling fireballs down the corridor, sending up plumes of fire concentrated on the vines and not stopping until I’ve depleted half of my mana. What’s left as the smoke clears is nothing but cinders and ashes.

Stoneburner leans to look over my shoulder. “I do believe thine attack was successful, friend Dirk.”

“Yeah,” says Spyce. “At killing the Nymphs and alerting everything else in this maze that we’re here.”

“They’re as lost as we are,” I say. “Anyway, that much faster to our friend the Minotaur. Left here?”

“Yes. Then straight through the next three intersections.”

We follow Spyce’s path and make the left turn easily. The corridor stretches ten meters and then presents an intersection, left, right, or continue on straight. A second intersection is ten meters beyond that and a third ten meters beyond that. We already know to go straight, but it’s clear we’re going to have to go through a pack of boars that have spawned at the third intersection in order to do it.

“More fireballs?” Rose asks.

“I do like the smell of bacon,” I say. “Although I’d rather the two of you get the lion’s share of XP for all this.”

“Their time will come,” says Spyce. “For now, lets find the Minotaur, kill the Minotaur, and get the next dungeon key.”

“I can attempt to draw aggression,” Stoneburner suggests. “And then hastily fall back before the onslaught of judgment smites yon little piggies.”

That’s worth a few additional XP points. “Yeah, go for it,” I tell Stoneburner.

He steps ahead of me, clashes his shield, and bellows, drawing the attention of the boars who squeal and begin pawing their hooves to charge again.

“Here we go!” I say, and then hurl a fireball down the corridor like a fastball over the center of the plate. It erupts in front of the lead boar, sending it hurtling in the air, fur singed and blackened. I send my next fireball at the mob only for it to be intercepted by the Minotaur itself as it steps out of the second intersection. It takes the blast head on, which would usually be good, but a Minotaur’s horns are indestructible and I don’t need Graydon’s Sight to realize that my attack didn’t do a lot of damage.

“Uh, guys…”

Great. Now we’ve got a troop of boar—or whatever it is you call a pack of pigs—running full murder in our direction along with a big, hulking man with a bull’s head stalking toward us and sending hot vapor out of its nostrils as it adds its steer-bellow to the noise.

I ready myself to hurl more fireballs down the avenue when I hear Rose shout, “Something just slithered out of the wall!”

“Serpents!” Stoneburner warns. “Let not the venom find your veins!”

Oh, this is just fantastic.

I’m starting to think we took the wrong route when Spyce announces, “Milli-stinger is trying to slink up behind us. I’m on it!”

Yep. Definitely took the wrong route. Well, things’ll be cleared out that much faster I suppose. But we need to work together to survive.

“Stoneburner!” I call between fireball blasts. “Focus on the snakes. Protect Rose and Nogg.”

“Aye!”

“Rose—you make sure Nogg is okay and keep Spyce up. If Stoneburner needs a heal, he’ll tell you. Be ready to cure poison—it’ll work on venom, too.”

“Can do!”

“And Spyce,” I begin, about to tell her to focus on the Milli-stinger.

“I’m already on it!” she says, cutting me short. I’m not upset about it in the least. Actually, I’m glad to see how we seem more and more to be getting on the same page.

What follows is an interesting experience. I’m hurling fireballs at the boars since they’ve now hurried around and past the Minotaur, who is plodding my way like a final boss badass. Even though, inexplicably, it’s not the actual boss of this dungeon.

I imagine the smell of barbecued ribs filling the labyrinth as I burn the oncoming boars with my magic machine-gun hands. I could do this all day if my mana supplies would let me. Unfortunately, I won’t have all day because eventually either a boar, or more likely, the Minotaur will get close enough that I can’t risk the splash damage to the rest of my team.

I have no way of knowing what’s going on behind me saved by whether the grunts and other noises sound like the good kind or the bad kind. Occasionally I’ll hear Stoneburner cry out, “Watch out!” or “Heal Nogg!”

Those are the times I want to turn around and see what’s what, but with the Minotaur bearing down on me, that’s just not something I can do. I need to trust the team to handle their section of combat just like they’re trusting me to do the same. I switch from casting fireballs to the oncoming Minotaur—the boars are burnt to death at least—and deliver two quick shots from my bow before switching again to the Vampiric Blade.

The Minotaur doesn’t have a magic attack, but it’s got a lot of HP. I want to suck away as much as I can and keep replenishing myself here because I have no choice but to go toe-to-toe. If I fall back, that will allow the monster to do some serious damage to the soft middle section of our column. Stoneburner can handle it, but Nogg and Rose… not for long.

The big creature is carrying a massive, two-headed axe, and while it has horns, they’re not particularly massive. The devs didn’t go Texas Longhorn here… just like a regular bull, I guess. It leads with a massive, downward swing of the axe. I dodge to my left and the weapon bites into the floor, sending up sparks. I react with a thrust from my Vampiric Sword—Bam—up into the creature's ribs, drawing blood and draining some of the creature’s health into me.

The beast bellows and attempts to gore me with its horns. I swing upward with my blade, helping those horns to move right past me as the minotaur lunges its head up. I spin and bring the blade back the length of the half-man, half-bull’s back. It bellows again, but I’ve made a critical error—the spin has exposed Stoneburner to the creature.

I thought I could dodge right back into place since I had aggro. More precisely, I was hoping by getting behind it like this it would follow me away from the party. But it seems focused on Stoneburner instead.

Rose cries out a warning and Stoneburner turns and gets his shield up just in time to block an axe attack.

“What’s going on?” Spyce calls.

She’s busy with the Milli-stinger, a giant millipede. Or centipede. Whatever. Lots of legs, red eyes, pincers dripping with venom and capable of towering above you as it lifts its front legs off the ground and then crashes down in attack.

“Minotaur!” Rose yells back, the one word answer saying everything.

“Dirk!” Spyce shouts.

“On it!” I say, driving forward and hitting the Minotaur in the back again. I’m doing damage, but not enough. The thing has a tough hide that’s blunting what I can do with a sword and my team members are too close to use magic.

At least offensive magic. I cast Regeneration on Stoneburner just to be safe. He’s getting his shield hammered as the bull rages and roars.

“Stop getting its aggro,” I call.

“I’m not!” Stoneburner yells back. “Ye think I’m mad!”

Okay. So our friend must think Stoneburner and Rose are this year’s Athenian sacrifice. You like that? My brief stint in college paid off. Or at least that Classical Mythology class did.

“I’m taking damage through the shield,” Stoneburner says.

“I can’t heal you and keep Nogg up,” Rose says.

I look to Spyce, who’s still busy with the slavering, nasty bug. This Minotaur needs to go down and it needs to go down quickly.

“Switching to Nogg,” I tell the team.

“You’re what?” Spyce asks, alarmed but still focusing on keeping our other flank from turning.

But I’ve already switched to my other box. Nogg is hanging in there, but he’s suffering from some poison damage from being bitten by the snakes that wriggled through the walls. Still, Rose is doing a good job of keeping him alive.

Since Nogg is wearing Graydon’s Sight, I instantly get a clear picture of the battle. The Minotaur has just over 450 HP and each blow of its axe on Stoneburner’s shield is doing 50HP or so. Not to mention the damage to the thing’s durability. If it busts through, Burner is dead and Rose will follow quickly.

I had thought that Nogg might have some spells that could help, but in reality, I knew my best play would be the Mythical Stave of Ice. I use one of its limited charges. The weapon sends a blast of frozen air and causes ice crystals to form along the walls and hang from Rose’s hair.

The beast fairs much worse. The blast hits it right in the sternum and leaves a gaping entry wound that is frozen over with a thick crust of ice that spreads its way beyond, clinging to the matted hair. I’ve got to think that with a wound like that, defrosting the ice pack would cause some serious bleeding damage.

Man. No wonder this thing only does twenty shots like this before turning into a considerably less mythical stave.

“Stoneburner,” I yell, “finish him off!”

He’s back up and slashing. It doesn’t take him long to whittle down the remaining HP. The Minotaur gives a final moan and then drops encases it in a thick crust of ice that clings to its fur. I don’t tarry for too long, though. My next move is switching back to Dirk just in time to send a few arrows over the heads of the party to help Spyce finish off the Milli-stinger.

Rose doesn’t have to be told to work on healing. She’s casting as fast as she can, focusing on Spyce and Stoneburner.

Spyce downs a cure poison potion. “Well that was fun.”

I smile. “Never a dull moment down here.”

She nods. “So what happened? How did the Minotaur get to Stoneburner and Rose?”

“That’s on me.” I explain to her the way Stoneburner just instantly drew the thing’s aggro. “I did a spin move and left Stoneburner open to attack. My bad guys, seriously.”

“Let’s just be glad that we’re all still alive,” says Rose. “Ooh… and we’re that much closer to another level up. Or at least I am.”

“Yeah, shouldn’t be long,” I say, still feeling the sting of my error. “We’ve just got to make our way through the labyrinth. How did it go, left, right, straight and then another left?”

“Something like that,” mumbled Spyce. “Not that we have a giant ball of string to help us find our way out.”

“Speak not so,” says Stoneburner, who’s stooped to loot the Minotaur. “We do have something of the sort.”

“What?” asks Rose.

“The beast has this axe—a fine weapon though not imbued with magical enchantments. The gold I shall split, but there also is something called a Bundle of Impervious Thread. Dirk, in your wanderings, have you seen such a thing?”

“Can’t say that I have. Let’s give it to Hairy Meg for now.” The little brownie has stood back faithfully. I wonder if she can actually get killed in battle or if she’s impervious to damage. That would be very un-King’s League like, but she’s made it this far without any trouble, so who knows?

“I’d like to give it to the taylor at Dawnshire,” says Stoneburner. “I’m sure he’ll make good use of it.”

“That sounds fine.”

“I’ve got our route out of the maze if we’re ready to continue,” Spyce says. “Unless we want to cruise for more of the random spawns—clean it out entirely.”

“Nah,” I say. “The drops aren’t great and the XP those creatures provide really pales in comparison to some of the other stuff we can grind. Plus, we could be wandering for who knows how long before we get to a mob. Let’s shoot for the way out and tackle the boss.”

Spyce leads us on a winding course that contains a few more snake encounters and another herd of boar that get crispified and waiting to be joined up with a plate of fried eggs and toast. And then we’re free. The labyrinth leads out to a large, open section of the temple.

“Jeez, that took an hour!” exclaims Spyce. “Even with the map.”

“Yeah,” I say. “Just one of those levels where the wandering-to-fighting ratio just isn’t ideal for grinding. So, no spawns here until we approach the boss. Last chance for a break until after the fight.”

“I daresay I am feeling hearty.” The remark--of course--came from Stoneburner.

Rose waves a hand to get our attention. “This is the Corrupted Centaur Guard, right?”

I nod at her. “That’s the one. Supposed to be pretty hard, but I’ve got a strategy I want to try out that I think can make our lives easier.”

In typical mythology, centaurs were half-man with the lower half of a horse. Of course, this is King’s League so we aren’t dealing with your run of the mill Harry Potter centaurs. These ones are of the cursed variety. This boss has flames for eyes, carries a wicked looking glaive—a long handled weapon with a blade on the end—oh, and it is technically a giant with legs as big around as we are. On top of that, it’s magical and boasts magical resistance.

“They’re dark creatures,” I continue. “Not only are they physically deadly but they function much like a sorcerer. They possess the ability to cast dark spells.”

Spyce swings her arms as if loosening up for a fight. “We should be okay but focus on the legs. If we concentrate on those we’ll eventually be able to bring him down on a knee. That’s when he’s vulnerable and we can attack a certain spot that will be revealed from his chest armor moving.”

“I’ve got two spells to cast as Nogg,” I tell the team. “The first is Swift Feet. Be ready to move, because the thing is fast and we need to keep after it.”

“What’s the second?” asks Spyce.

“Spirit Mount,” I say. “I’m going to ride Nogg’s horse with him at my back and take this thing on Mongol Horde style.”

“That’s… that’s your big plan?” Rose says, sounding less than impressed.

“Trust me. This fight will be about speed and damage over time. If we’re all flying around in there—and there’s plenty of room to run—we’re going to keep the Centaur running instead of charging and hitting us with that glaive.”

With that, we enter the boss room. Nogg and Dirk on the back of the Spirit Mount, the others on foot.

The sound of a hoof pawing the ground fills the chamber and reverberates around us.

“That’s not you, is it?” asks Rose.

“Nope.” I’m scanning for the source of the sound—the Centaur. Soon the pawing turns into a full gallop and I see the massive mythological monster of mayhem and madness charging toward us.

I shout for the spirit mount to charge and head straight toward the beast. “Yah!”

This seems to confuse the Centaur—I think it’s used to being the one who charges. As we close, though, it has its massive glaive ready to chop off three heads in one stroke—me, Nogg, and the horse we rode in on. But my plan isn’t to joust this thing. The moment I’m within fifteen feet I cast Silence and render its spell casting useless for the next ten seconds and then veer off.

After the first attack, the Centaur will race off and begin casting its dark magic, usually just debuffs and things like that, but occasionally it will summon undead satyrs to stab at your knees and ankles while playing this funky, bizzarro tune on their pan pipes that must have been written by a seriously deranged composer. My goal here is to cut that part of the fight out completely and force the Centaur to battle without its magic by engaging it from all sides. If it breaks free, I’ll run it down and pepper it with arrows in an attempt to break up any casting.

As I perform my circle to zero in on the target again, I see that the Centaur had reared onto its hind legs, reacting to Stoneburner hacking and slashing it head on, but before the thing can bring those hooves stamping down, Burner is gone by the power of Swift Feet. Spyce in that time had circled around the monster, jumped on its back, and buried a blade in its neck just above the bronze plate armor the thing wears for protection over its giant upper body.

She leaps off and speeds away. The Centaur turns and begins to run to create some distance, taking a wide swipe with its glaive that doesn’t come close to hitting either of them. The ten seconds of Silence isn’t quite up, but if I let it get away it will have no trouble casting without interruption once it is.

I urge my Spirit Mount on, thundering inside the great, stone clearing. This area is pretty much a giant, open chamber with stone walls and stone floors. The ceiling is covered in blackness, not even the orange light of the fire baskets blazing on the walls are able to reach all the way up. There are cauldrons of flame set throughout the floor as well, large braziers lit by undying logs that provide glowing circles of light—but all else is shadow. It’s really easy to slip away into the darkness here and that’s what I’m trying to prevent the Centaur from doing.

It darts between the big bowls of fire like a precision driver navigating cones on a closed course—I half expect the thing to start drifting. My first shot goes wide because I’m working so hard to keep the Spirit Mount on the same course. Finally we roar into a straight away and I’m able to lodge a Shaft of DEEP HURTING in the thing’s rump. The hit isn’t critical, but it does seem to slow the creature down. So it’s lame, but in a good way. I stay on it and hit it with a couple more arrows until it decides that it’s had enough of trying to get away and circles back to charge at me. Again, I veer off and then Stoneburner and Spyce are there hitting it again and preventing it from giving chase.

I move back around, sending more arrows at it and we repeat the process. Finally, the Centaur drops to its knees, unable to run any further. It looks kind of helpless, actually, except for the massive arms trying to swing that big weapon at whoever gets close. I bring my Spirit Mount in and switch to my Gladius of Arcing, slashing down at it and sending electrical damage coursing through its armor where I make my cut.

As soon as the Centaur turns to me, Spyce or Stoneburner hits it and then dances back. So far Rose hasn’t had to heal us at all and it ends up staying that way as I deliver a final blow to the bloody and dying creature—a slash at the neck that leaves a big gash and then causes the human upper torso to pitch forward. The beast rolls to its side, dead.

“That’s how you do it!” I shout. “Am I dreaming, or did we just kill this boss and lose zero HP?”

I can hardly contain my excitement.

“You’re not dreaming,” Spyce says. “Well done, team.”

The familiar gilded light envelops both Stoneburner and Rose, accompanied by the usual cheerful fanfare. They’ve each leveled up.

“Nice!” I shout, my enthusiasm still going strong. “How are we doing?”

“I’ve gained one,” says Stoneburner. “And am closer than I have any right to be to the next. Truly the helm has shone its favor upon us.”

Rose pumps a fist in the air. “Same here!”

“Makes sense.” That comes from Spyce.

I nod my head in agreement. “The levels are getting harder so the XP is higher. Get the right multiplier from Graydon’s Sight and it makes a difference. Good job, both of you.”

“Dirk,” Stoneburner calls, “did friend Nogg gain a new level of skill and capability?”

“Probably. I’ll check it out. One sec.”

I switch back to Nogg and find that he’s gained one and a half levels, plus a new spell.

Hard Stomp

Effect: Knocks enemy down

Duration: instant

Casting Time: .5 seconds

Cooldown: 25 seconds

Range: 15 meters

Mana: 20

It’s a good combat skill but won’t be much use while I’m boxing and playing primarily as Dirk. Still, when Brian comes back it should do something for him and that’s good enough for me.

Like the troll boss earlier, the centaur has a loot chest, but it’s partially hidden. We walk to the small opening in the walls he’d been guarding and find it inside. Once we get it open we discover…

Sin Tainted Signet

Rare, Magical

5% physical damage reduction

5% magical damage reduction

+20 Health

Dark One’s Cloak

Unique, Magical

+15% Cast Speed

-5% Mana consumed per cast

+9 Stamina

Level Three Key

Dungeon Item

That plus some gold. I take the key but leave the rest. “I think the cloak would work for you, Rose.”

Despite all the progress we’ve made the healer is still a little hesitant. “Are you sure? That’s a really good item! Something like this would get a good price at the River Market.”

“It would, but you should absolutely take it,” says Spyce. “As you level, your old gear isn’t going to do much. Only the really good magical stuff will level with you. Might as well upgrade when you get the chance.”

“If you’re sure…” Rose collects the cloak. A second later it’s equipped and flows around her.

When I’d seen it in the chest it just looked like a dark piece of fabric. Now that Rose is wearing it, the thing almost seems to come to life. It has a faint radiance but not a glow exactly. Little curls of black mist pool around the bottom, giving it a pretty cool effect.

Rose spreads her arms and spins in a circle. “This is so cool! I can already tell it’s going to be helpful when I cast heals.”

“What about you, Burner?” I point at the chest. “The ring seems like it’s up your alley.”

“So it is,” he agrees, stepping forward to take the ring. “A simple yet effective bauble. I thank you, friend Dirk.”

I hold up the key before adding it to my inventory. “That covers Level 3. I gotta tell you, I was thinking we’d just do this level once and skip to the next. But after how easily we took down the boss, I think wandering the labyrinth is worth it for the easy kill at the end. Who’s ready to do it all again?”

16

We run the level a few more times over the next three hours. As Spyce mentioned, the harder levels were yielding more experience and helping our friends to level faster. I think about calling it a night, but everyone is too excited to stop. We agree to take an hour break and get back at it.

I put my headset down and stretch my arms high overhead. My stomach gurgles discontentedly. I can tell that it’s not going to be satisfied by another can of energy drink. I rub it but it only gurgles louder.

“Tell me what you need, pal.”

If you listen carefully to the way your tummy rumbles, you’ll unlock secrets both wonderful and shocking. My stomach tells me three words. Gas. Station. Pizza.

I check my watch. Plenty of time to take a quick walk to the corner station and grab a slice. Well, two slices because it’s cheaper. One to have up front and one for later, assuming I can have muster the proper self-control. Because gas station pizza, my friends, is severely underrated. This is a truth that the wealthy don’t know. But us poor people, or in my case, recently poor, we know what’s up.

I throw on my jacket and hesitate at the door. Usually I lock everything up before I leave. But time is limited and I won’t be gone long. I leave the lights on and head out.

The air is warm enough that by the time I reach the gas station in question, a fifteen-minute walk, I’m feeling just a little bit sweaty. Guess I shouldn’t have brought the jacket after all. I pull open the door and hear the sing-song chime alerting the guy behind the counter of a new presence. The artificial glare of all that fluorescent overhead lighting fills my senses.

I pass a truck driver with a sweet handlebar mustache who is filling up what appears to be a gallon-sized coffee cup with something called “Joltin’ Java” blend. There are about twenty of those little artificial-flavored creamer cups scattered about the coffee bar as the man makes his perfect blend of coffee. That’ll kill you.

Not that I’m one to talk. I head over to the glass case where corndogs, hot dogs, burritos, chicken tendies, and the holy grail, cheese pizza, bake under orange glowing lights. I make eye contact with the clerk, who nods and stays at the counter while the truck driver brings over his mammoth coffee.

Just then, the door swings open and the chime gives its diiiiing-doooong. An incredibly attractive blonde walks inside and gets directly in line. There’s something familiar about her, but I didn’t get a good glimpse and now her back is facing me. She’s pretty. I can tell you that much. Like… really pretty. Like… out of anyone but Brian’s league levels of pretty.

Truck Driver pays for his drink, takes a penny from the little dish despite paying with a card, because some folks like to see the world burn, and then the blonde woman asks for, “Thirty on pump two.”

“Just a sec,” the clerk says, pointing at me. “Gotta help him out first.”

She nods and takes a step back as the clerk comes around to the glowing case of radioactive foodstuffs. The woman turns her head to see who he was talking about, squints, and says, “I know you. From the gym!”

That’s where I know her from. It’s the cute receptionist working for McNasty.

“Hey,” I say, sounding way cooler than I intended. I give a little wave. “Just picking up some, uh, workout fuel.”

She raises her eyebrows at the contents behind the glass. The only thing this food will fuel is a burning guilt over having eaten it.

“What’ll you have?” asks the clerk.

“Slice of pizza.”

“Cheese or pepperoni?”

“Cheese.”

He grabs a slice and flops it on a paper plate, then pauses. “Just one?”

“Yeah. Just one. I’m very serious about my health.”

I hear the girl laugh a couple aisles over. She’s gone to pick something else up while she waits for her turn.

“Cheaper if you buy two.”

I’d like to buy two. Ah, hell. Who am I trying to impress? I mean, I know who I’m trying to impress, but at this point, two slices of gas station pizza say just about the same as one slice, don’t they? “You’re a shrewd salesman… Gene,” I say, reading the man’s name tag. “Two it is.”

Again she laughs. What bizzarro universe have I wandered into where this happens?

I follow Gene over to the register, where he rings me up. Under my breath, I say, “Also, let me cover that twenty bucks on two.”

He nods, completely unimpressed by my generosity, and rings up the total. I pay and look to catch the girl’s eyes for a “goodbye,” but she’s not looking.

Back outside, I feel the two slices of pizza jockeying for position on my thin paper plate. If something isn’t done, I could lose half of my investment to the beyond-filthy concrete beneath my feet. There’s a picnic table on the side of the storefront next to an ice machine. I doubt anyone but employees and vagrants ever use it—the scenery isn’t exactly amazing. But I tell myself that I need to finish off one of these slices or risk losing it on the walk back home. I could stack them, but then the top piece steals all the cheese from the bottom piece and that simply will not stand.

I settle in and take a bite. The thick layer of cheese is like an upper crust on the slice, a little gooey but not the sort that stretches and gets pulled away from the sauce. I salute you, gas station pizza artisan. My fingers are coated with an orange oil from the grease, and of course I forgot to grab napkins. I leave my feast and walk over to one of the pumps to pull some towels from the little windshield cleaning unit.

The door from the convenience mart chimes and I hear a voice say, “Hey, get away from my car. That thing’s a collector’s item.”

I smile for two reasons. First, the voice belongs to the girl. Second, she has a sense of humor because this car is anything but a collector’s item. It’s an early 2000s Toyota, white paint covered with the grime of the city, some scratches and dents on the doors and front bumper—a total beater, or “hoopty” as my Dad called these things.

I turn around and see her smiling at me. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”

She has a paper plate of gas station pizza in her hand. “That was nice of you. To pay for my gas.”

“Oh, yeah. My pleasure. Just a random act of kindness.”

“Can you start pumping it for me? Cheapest grade.”

She steps over to the table and sets down her plate of pizza across from mine, which goes a long way in making me say, “Sure!”

I get the pump going. It goes through the twenty bucks quickly, the pump shutting off while I’m on my way back toward the picnic table with my paper towels.

“Thanks,” she says.

“No thanks necessary. I enjoy helping people, and I don’t do it for the recognition.”

“Uh-huh,” she says, clearly not buying it. “Which is why you sat down at the table just outside to wait for me. Because you didn’t want any recognition.”

“Madam,” I say, covering my chest with a hand like a scandalized debutant. “You confuse my insatiable love for pizza with the low trickery of a guy willing to spend twenty bucks to get a girl’s phone number.”

Holy crap, Dirk. Phone number? What are you doing? You sound like Brian! All the non-stop gaming has made me punch-drunk and not my usual cautious self. Brian likes that saying, You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take. I prefer the adage, If you don’t take a shot, you won’t be shot down.

So what possessed me to just go there?

“Let’s eat first and then I’ll let you know if you can text me.” She sits down across from me at the table. “I’m Hannah.”

“Dirk,” I say, quickly wiping away the pizza grease from my fingers before offering my hand to shake.

“Haven’t seen you back at the gym since your little blow up with Carter,” Hannah says before taking a bite.

Carter? Who’s Carter? Oh! Right, Carter McMorgan. I’m so used to calling him McNasty that I legit forgot what that guy’s real name was.

“McNasty and I don’t exactly see eye to eye on… anything.”

She laughs.

“Sorry,” I say. “Guess I shouldn’t bag on your boss, but…”

“No. That’s a good name for him. Guy’s a total creep. And he’s not my boss.”

“As in you quit the gym?”

She shakes her head and delicately dabs her lips with her napkin after another bite. “I wish. I actually just came from there. Can’t afford to lose a job. His dad is my boss. He just shows up and acts like he owns the place.”

“Ah. Yeah. That’s him. Why are you getting off work so late? Doesn’t seem like there’s enough traffic to run a 24-hour gym.”

“Inventory, and it was terrible. Carter wouldn’t leave me alone. Would you believe that he brags about his girlfriend to me one minute and then tries to get me to hook up with him the next?”

“Oh, I can believe it. That’s a… that sucks.”

“It’s a job. We do what we have to do. And anyway, from what Mr. McMorgan says, it might not be that much longer anyway.”

“Why’s that?”

“I think he’s looking to sell the property. The businesses too if there’s a buyer, but mainly just the property. That’s what the inventory was for, so we could properly catalog all the gym’s assets. The previous owner’s books were last updated in the late 90s.”

“Huh. I can believe that, too. Well, I’ll be honest, I’d like that gym a lot more if it was under different management.”

“You and me both. What do you do?”

I tell her about King’s League, trying to make it sound as cool as possible. Which actually isn’t that hard when I tell her about the sponsorships. I don’t go into too much detail about the streaming because I get the feeling that it would only sound boastful.

“That’s really interesting,” she says. “I keep hearing that people are making money playing King’s League. I’m not much of a gamer, though. Just a few phone games.”

“Hey, at least you know what King’s League is. Most people just assume I’m a drug dealer with an elaborate alibi when I try to tell them what I do.”

She pauses and studies me.

“I’m not a drug dealer,” I insist.

“So you say…”

We both laugh and then Hannah is finished with her pizza way too soon. She gets up and begins to clear her plate. I do the same out of manners and old habits. Dad always said that when a woman rises from the table, you do, too.

“Thanks for the pizza, Dirk.”

“I bought you gas, not pizza, but you’re welcome.”

She smiles and says, “You bought me gas which meant I could spend my last twenty on pizza instead of going back to ramen at my apartment.”

I walk her to the big plastic barrel of a trash can next to her car. She takes the gas pump out and puts it away, then opens her door. She stands, half in and half out, and maybe I’m just crazy, but I feel like she’s waiting for something.

I decide to go full Brian. If the numbness of I don’t know how many hours of grinding has my confidence going, I may as well use it. “So, when can I see you again? Other than at the classic car shows?”

She giggles and sits down in her seat. “Well… you know where I work.”

I’m leaning over the top of her door, looking down at her. “Pretty sure I’m banned for life.”

She laughs, her hands resting on the steering wheel. “Yeah, that’s probably true.” She goes into her purse and retrieves her phone. “Tell you what. Give me your number. I’ll text you.”

I do it and receive a text a second later that says, “Pizza Hannah.”

“And here I thought Hannah was your first name,” I say. “It was nice talking with you tonight.”

She smiles and starts her engine. “You too, Dirk.”

I step back and let her close her door. She pulls away. I watch her leave and then get my last piece of pizza. I check my watch. Oh crap. I’m going to have to hustle if I’m going to make it back to start the next grind session.

I start jogging down the street back to my apartment. Halfway there, the pizza slice falls off, an offering to the gods of the city. A feast for pigeons and crows. That wouldn’t have happened if I’d have managed my time properly and was walking back right now.

I smile. It was worth it.

17

I make it back just in time. Still a bit sweaty, I get my gear on and find the others ready and waiting. We have a brief discussion and agree that it’s best to attack level four.

We get through the mobs of undead spartan warriors, evil hags, and a round with hell hounds pretty quickly. After all the hours we’ve put in playing together, we’re moving more like a unit.

Exactly one and a half hours after we started, the Level 4 boss awaits.

Medusa.

Her chamber is filled with pristine stone victims. I thought I read somewhere that if you’re killed here, your avatar joins the ranks of the frozen statues. Seeing just how many there are, I grimace. It’s all too easy to imagine something going wrong and any of us ending up as one of Medusa’s kills.

A screech fills my headset. From the way everyone else jerks, they all got the same audio. It sounded like it came from the back of the chamber, but it echoes around us and is hard to pin down. There are lit braziers all around but the statues throw long shadows and it’s a little disorienting.

“Look.” Spyce points ahead to more of the statues.

These ones aren’t in as good of shape as those where we entered. A leg has broken off one and lays on the ground next to an arm. Some are completely destroyed, just piles of rubble. I’d noticed them before but hadn’t really thought anything about it other than maybe the damage was from a previous fight.

“Keep your eyes peeled,” I tell them. “She’s fast and can strike from anywhere.”

A slithering noise from out of view confirms my suspicion that Medusa is around somewhere and not far. Before I can utter another warning, a beam of brilliant light blasts into the statue at my right.

“Don’t get hit by the beam or you're frozen,” Spyce calls out. “Once you’re frozen, you can be shattered. If you get shattered, you’re dead.”

If you’re unfamiliar with Medusa, she was one of the three Gorgons in Greek Mythology. Originally, she had a human body but with wings and live, venomous snakes for hair. Since then, she’s lost the wings and gained a serpent’s lower half, kind of like a snake-mermaid. The snakes-for-hair look never went out of style, though. And neither did her ability to turn people into stone when they gazed into her eyes. King’s League went with the topless snake mermaid version, though the serpents strategically hang low to cover her chest. For the sight-to-stone effect, the devs have her shoot ocular rays that do the same trick.

Thankfully, getting turned to stone like that is more of a curse. It’s reversible… unless she whip-tails you and breaks the marble version of your character. Then you’re dead.

I’d had an easy time of it before when I was by myself. It had been as simple as avoiding the beam and hitting Medusa with a flurry of arrows. Oh yeah, I also was wearing Graydon’s Sight and didn’t have my stats lowered from mentoring. Guess that’s kind of a big difference.

Anyway, the game gives a tell when she’s about to blast you—her eyes begin to glow and then she goes full Cyclops. I’m talking X-Men here, not Greek Mythology. I know. Confusing. Anyway, once she took enough damage, she got dazed—or rather her venomous hair got dazed with her—and was vulnerable to attack. All I’d done to defeat her was run up behind her and use my Shadow Dagger.

Something tells me this time will be a little harder. There’s a lot of moving parts and she’s a one-hit kill machine in the right situation.

“Stone, see if you can draw her in,” I say to my friend. “Let’s have her fight it out with us here where the light is best and the statues won’t get in the way as much. Then me and Spyce can hit her with attacks.”

“I shall endeavor to trap the monster,” he promises.

Using the Taunt and Shout seems to do the trick. Medusa slithers into view, though a number of statues stand between her and us. Her hair of vipers writhes and moves in every direction. The scales go as far north as her navel, and then she has alabaster white flesh—kind of a ghostly vibe—in a full human form. I know a lot of times artists will make Medusa’s face beautiful, but not in King’s League. She’s hideous—terrible teeth, a sharp cleft chin, eyes that are a little too close and not quite aligned—she definitely looks more like a monster than a hot snake lady.

She makes it clear that she’s here to kill us for entering her lair. “All those enter my abode shall die!” See? No ambiguity about that!

Right away the eyes begin to glow.

“Dodge!” I shout. “Get low and use the statues for cover.”

Everyone drops behind a stone figure. They’re grouped tight enough together that it feels like you have a wall of rock at your disposal. The number of warriors—either actual PCs who didn’t get cured of their transformation to stone and eventually died or NPCs—is thick. Medusa has to be wondering why they keep coming. She looks like she’s racked up a pretty successful defense of her den.

The target of her first blast is Stoneburner. No surprise since he was the one who taunted her out into the open. She shoots off her eye beams Cyclops style and absolutely pulverizes three statues that stand where Stoneburner once did.

“Ye gods!” Stoneburner shouts. “Such power. I’m taking damage from the statuary pieces which now smite me!”

“Is it bad?” asks Rose.

“Not fatal, but enough that it gives the Regeneration spells something to do. Twenty damage.”

That’s something to consider. If we’re low on health, her destroying the statues around us could send us over the edge while we’re hiding to recover. Not to mention it’s a way that Nogg might take damage even while crouching low and otherwise out of sight. Have to keep an eye on this.

But right now, we need to start dealing damage. I pop up and start to send arrows. As long as she limits her attacks to the eye beams, it really doesn’t matter who draws aggro—we all just need to duck before we get hit. Spyce joins me and begins to hurl darts.

Unfortunately, that’s all we can do at the moment. Close combat means going up against all the woman’s 100% real snake weave. No snatching that. Their venom is incredibly potent, so you don’t want to get close until they’re stunned.

“Godstrike works not unless the foe be undead,” Stoneburner advises. “My kingdom for a ranged weapon!”

Guess we should have thought of that.

“I have some spells that can do a little damage,” offers Rose.

“Save your mana for healing,” says Spyce.

Medusa lets out another shrill cry and her eyes light up for another attack.

“Down!” I yell and then follow my own advice.

This time the beam is aimed at me. It obliterates the statue I’m cowering behind, which pelts me for five points of damage. Regeneration won’t have any trouble bringing it back. I spring to my feet and see something that didn’t happen when I was going solo. Some of the statues are now animated and advancing on our position.

I don’t even bother firing an arrow at them. It’ll bounce right off. Plus, Medusa is still slithering back there—and then I see something that did happen in the last fight. Some of the snakes in her head crawl down and begin to move across the soft, dirt floor to us.

“Watch out for snakes!” I shout—not even trying to quote MST3K but doing it anyways.

“I’ll handle the vipers,” Spyce says. “Dirk, keep shooting Medusa!”

“Got it.” I send another arrow at the monster. It just misses her head but manages to cut a few serpents in half. Their dark red blood drip down her face, making her look even more gruesome. “Stoneburner—try and keep those statues back. Gonna have to use shield bash or some other blunt-force attack.”

“Aye, these would only dull my blade.” He swaps the sword for his war hammer. “This, however, cannot be dulled.”

Our paladin tank leaps into battle swinging the massive weapon and pulverizing our hardened foes.

“I’ll focus on keeping Stoneburner up,” says Rose. “Shout if you need a heal!”

From the corner of my eye I see Stoneburner bashing his shield or swinging his hammer into the animated stone warriors. Each time he does it an appendage breaks loose or a crack forms in the new monster. Unfortunately, their weapons remain whatever metal they were, otherwise I think the paladin would be pulverizing those as well with the way he’s blocking the attacks. He takes a few hits, but with Rose providing support, he looks like he’s got this wave handled.

Spyce is streaking amid the still inanimate statues, cutting the heads off the snakes that are wriggling their way toward us, hoping to get a taste of some ankle. That’s dangerous work. The venom isn’t quite an instant-kill, but it will drop your HP by fifty points every thirty seconds until you drink a cure potion or get an equivalent spell cast over you. Thankfully, we should be able to handle that if she does get bit. If she gets bit multiple times… I guess we just hope that the effects don’t stack.

I’m peppering Medusa with arrows. If I had Graydon’s Sight on, I’d know exactly how long we were going to be before we stun the Gorgon and can move in for the kill. Now it feels like guess work. It’s crazy to me that this is the experience I had gotten used to and the experience most players have. You just don’t know how well you’re doing beyond the visual cues like bleed and other physical damage. Still, it can’t be that long, can it? I mean, I know my level is reduced to participate in this party, but my skills should be making up some of the gap.

Like Bilbo to the ring, I feel an itch telling me to go and get the precious.

No. Precious is with Nogg.

We hates Nogg!

Nogg is our friend.

We hates him forever! Filthy Noggins!

Medusa’s eyes glow and Rose calls out the warning. I’m pretty sure I still have aggro, but we all get down. To my surprise, the blast tears through some of the stone warriors that are attacking them, sending rocky chunks out like shrapnel in the direction of Stoneburner and Rose.

“Yikes!” Rose says. “That got me.”

Stoneburner is already back on his feet. “Heal up and then—” he cuts himself short and looks at a small statue nearby, tipped on its side. “Hairy Meg—Nooooooo!”

Something about the way he calls out in anguish over the little brownie helper getting turned to stone makes the rest of us all bust up laughing. We’re still putting in work, but it gets contagious and soon all of us are cracking up almost uncontrollably.

Spyce tries to rein it in first. “Okay guys—” but she can’t finish her sentence without busting up. That just makes us all laugh more.

“Serious!” she calls out, yelling at herself as much as the rest of the party. “Be serious. We are a serious team of player—er—” she can’t finish the word without turning it into more laughs.

And then Rose snorts and then shouts, “Oh no! I’m so embarrassed!” and we’re laughing even harder while still trying to kill the monsters before us.

I’m getting to the point where I have to mute my mic so no one hears my own dorky laugh. Tears are threatening to blur my vision and I can’t exactly take my headset off. Man. I don’t remember the last time I just lol’d and had a good time playing like this. Feels like it’s been forever.

Medusa throws another stone-blast gaze our way. We all duck and once again it doesn’t go where I expected it. I had thought she would target whoever had triggered her aggro. Now I realize that she’s targeting random PCs. And when I see who she’s hit… things don’t seem so funny any longer.

I fumble through unmuting my mic and tell the team, “Nogg’s been hit! Solid stone—crap!”

Right about then, one of the stone warriors that Burner has been fighting reaches the toppled little statue of Hairy Meg and breaks off her arm with a ponderous kick. Stoneburner bashes the thing’s head clean off a second later.

“Stoneburner!” I call, realizing what these relatively low damage mobs are actually meant for. “They’re going to try and smash Nogg—that’ll kill him. Don’t let them past!”

Stoneburner lifts his shield and war hammer over his head like Gandalf and begins to shout, “You shall not—” but before he can finish, one of the statues takes a swing at him and he has to throw his shield out to deflect the blow.

“Spyce!” Rose calls. “You good? No poisoning?”

“Just peachy!” she says, hacking at more snakes and dancing to avoid getting bit. “These things are everywhere and I’m not a hundred percent sure I’ve got them all. Watch your toes!”

With nothing left to do, I pour on the damage for Medusa, sending arrow after arrow. Finally, one sinks solidly into her chest and she rears back and gives a scream. Her snake-hair style—the original Karen cut—straightens out and freezes.

“That’s it!” I shout. “She’s stunned. Spyce!”

Spyce immediately takes off for Medusa and is behind her in a flash, knives out and delivering death blows. The Gorgon screams again and falls dead—or so it would appear. I run up, Vampiric Sword in hand and cut off her head.

That finishes the encounter. The statues cease their movement and it’s quick work to finish off the last of the little snakelets. While this is happening, Rose squeals.

“I’m level 50!”

“That’s great,” I say, checking out Nogg who’s still solid stone. “But we need to do something about Nogg. This is bad.”

Everyone gathers around the statue of our friend the wizard.

“Can’t get him to drink a potion like this,” Spyce says. “Anyone know what the problem is?”

“I can cure disease,” Rose offers, trying to be helpful.

“No,” I say, checking the wiki. “Pretty sure it’s a curse. Yup. It is. Okay… what do we have that can fix that?”

“Not me,” says Spyce.

“That makes two of us,” I add.

“Sorry,” says Rose. “And nothing from my level up that can help. Stoneburner’s a Paladin, though. Maybe he can?”

“Yes,” says Stoneburner. “I have left several skills unlearned seeking to consult with Friend Dirk. Perhaps now would be an ideal time.”

We wait, and while I don’t know if the others feel it, the tension is thick in my chest.

“Aha!” Stoneburner triumphs. “Undo Curse. Rather straightforward! Reverse a curse on a player character of equal or lesser level.”

“Nogg’s fifty-one,” I say. “You’re fifty right? We may need to grind a bit to save him. Hold a watch.”

“Nay, friend Dirk. I reached fifty-one when fair Rose bloomed to level fifty. Let’s try this new ability out!”

Burner walks valianty toward Nogg and lays his hands on the stone. It seems to radiate and glow with heat—like Han Solo coming out of carbonite in Jabba’s chamber. But it works.

“Success!” Stoneburner’s grin is at Grand Canyon levels of width. “The only drawback, I can only summon the divine help once per day. Poor Meg must remain frozen.”

I look down at the little partially broken brownie. That’s too bad, and having the gopher to handle gear was nice. But given the choice between having Nogg alive or her, I’ll stick with Nogg. Guess that answers my question about whether the NPC can be hurt, though.

Spyce tries to whip up our enthusiasm. “Okay. Setback with Nogg aside, this is really going better than I thought it would. We’ll have you three maxed out in no time. Kind of makes sense why Billingsly was after that helm so hard, doesn’t it Dirk?”

“Yeah. I hadn’t thought about it before, but think of the money you could charge to players who could fast-travel their way to level 99 simply by grinding with your party.”

“Such would likely put Dawnshire’s revenues to shame,” suggested Stoneburner, before wisely adding, “and paint quite the bullseye on your back.”

“True enough,” I say. “Let’s check out what Medusa left us besides a near-heart attack. There’s a chest a little further. No traps.”

We check inside and find a hundred gold along with…

Twisted Serpent Staff

Rare, Magical

Durability 180/180

+25% Attack Speed

+25% Casting Speed

Damage: 2-8 + Petrifying Poison Effect

“Spyce, you’re the poison expert,” I say after reading out the staff’s description. “Any idea what Petrifying Poison does?”

“Yeah,” she says. “I’ve used it before. It won’t kill your target but it slows them down the more of it they suffer. Works really well on an opponent you don’t want to get away—or don’t want behind you. Haven’t seen it built into a weapon before.”

I nod. “Let’s give this to Rose for now. If someone comes at her, it’ll give her a chance to escape.”

“Sounds fine to me,” Rose says.

There are a couple of other items, one clearly designed for Stoneburner.

Stonebreaker Gauntlets

Unique

Durability: 390/390

+12 Strength

+10% Attack Speed

+8% Taunt

And then of course there’s the dungeon key.

Level Four Key

Dungeon Item

“This is all we need to move forward,” I say, showing them the key. “But the next level is going to be pretty hard. I think going in at 70 is ideal given the progress we’ve been making. We should keep gaining experience until everyone is ready.”

What I mean is that we shouldn’t move on until everyone is ready and fully expect my friends to call it a night. They don’t.

Rose twirls in her still-new cloak. “This is so exciting. We’ve been at this for hours but I’m not even tired. Just need a quick break to go to the bathroom and get a snack.”

When Spyce shoots me a questioning look I shrug. “Sure, Rose. I can keep going. What about you, Stoneburner?”

His avatar gives a little bow. “I am heartily ready to continue our quest. However, I must also—er, take care of certain requirements best suited for the privy. My wife also needs to know I’m working late, though I suspect she’s already aware. Shall we take a short respite?”

We decide to reconvene in 15 minutes.

I use the time to use the facilities and warm up Hot Pocket, which is a far cry from that second slice of gas station pizza I lost on the way back. There’s another of the King’s League energy drinks left in the fridge so I grab that too. It occurs to me that I can’t remember when the last time I drank water was. For a split second I feel guilty, then I think of what we’re doing.

I check my phone to see if Hannah has texted me again. Nope.

I decide to text Brian.

Met a girl. Got her number. She says she’ll text me. Should I just text her first?

I get an answer almost immediately.

You sly dog. No. DO NOT TEXT HER FIRST!!!!111!!

K

You sure?

Dirk. No. Trust me. Don’t do it.

K

Is she hot? Scale of 1-10.

Talk later. Grinding.

Don’t do me like that, bro!

Dirk…

Dirk!

…

I leave the conversation there. It won’t be too much longer before the rest of the group is high enough for us to enter Hagz without thinking about getting taken out. Once that worry is off my back, I can concentrate on being healthy and getting back in shape again. Maybe I’ll try to sneak into the gym. McNasty can’t be there all the time. For now, I need the caffeine kick from the soft drink.

We’re all back in the allotted time frame. The first thing I see is Spyce doing some kind of stretch with her arms. Even though it’s her avatar I’m seeing, I can’t help but imagine what Spyce actually looks like.

Chalk it up to me being a guy, I don’t care. Despite our rocky past, I’ve come to trust her. And, so it would seem, she’s decided to trust me too. I almost wish there was a way to meet her in real life but I don’t think now’s the time to ask. Maybe when this is all over.

“Just take a screen capture,” she says with a laugh. “They last longer.”

“What? Oh, sorry. Was just thinking.” My cheeks burn with embarrassment.

She smirks at me and folds her arms over her chest. “Sure you were. I—”

“I’m back!” Rose’s cheerful announcement cuts off whatever Spyce was about to say. “Sorry, was I interrupting?”

“Not at all,” I quickly assure her. “I just got back on. Looks like we’re only waiting for Stoneburner now.”

“Well met, friends!” His timing is perfect.

Spyce lets out a throaty chuckle. “Looks like the gang’s all here. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m dying to kick some more Level 4 ass.”

By the time dawn rolls around, Nogg, Stoneburner, and Rose are almost level 70. We’re all exhausted though. It’s been a long and fruitful night of grinding. My eyes are sticking together every time I blink and even though I have these awesome graphics, everything is blurry.

If we were really in the game, we’d have stumbled all the way back to Dawnshire. Rose steps outside the temple and then doesn’t hesitate to give Spyce’s belt back and I can tell she’s relieved by that.

“I’m off to the inn,” Rose tells us. “Great gaming tonight, everyone.”

We say our goodbyes.

I don’t even put Nogg in the Inn this time. He auto follows me back inside the temple. In fact, the whole team, comes in to log out in safety. Not that we would be in any danger in Dawnshire, but someone might decide to stream a video or something.

We’ll be right back at it again tomorrow.

* * *

I sleep like a dead man, waking only when one of my neighbors yells at their kid on the street to get their butt inside.

The excitement of the dungeon has infected my dreams, making it seem as though I’ve been awake this whole time, playing the game. As soon as my eyes snap open, I’m back in the chair, booting up the game on the headset as well as the computer.

In minutes, Dirk and Nogg are both standing in the town square. It looks like Stoneburner, Rose, and Spyce still aren’t awake, so I decide to take this time to eat a frozen burrito that I’ve had stashed in my freezer for the past two weeks. The package says, “Double Hell-apeno Doomsday burrito *now with real meat flavor.” I may pay for this later. Oh well, breakfast of champions, right?

While the microwave does its job, I check my phone. Still no text from Hannah. But there’s at least twenty unanswered texts from Brian. Most of them are urging me to be cool and not text first.

Okay Dirk. You’re obsessing. Do something else.

I pull up the forum where Spyce first discovered the footage of Fire Pants. According to Spyce, others had spotted the PKer as well. Sure enough, there’s almost a dozen hits. A loud ding informs me that my Hell-apeno burrito is done, but I ignore it for now. Fire Pants has my attention for the moment and I know the food will only burn the roof of my mouth if I try to eat it right away.

The forum discussion says that Fire Pants seems to spend a lot of time in Hagz’ main city but has been spotted south and to the east. Hardly ever in other parts of the region. This piques my interest as there’s only one region in that direction: The Frozen Maw. I wonder if he has a hideout there.

It’s not a bad choice, if that’s the case. The Frozen Maw is pretty dangerous. I’ve been there once, after I hit level 99, just to see, and it’s far from friendly. Lots of deadly mobs, weather, and environment in general. It’s for higher level players, that’s for sure. Unless you know your way around. In that case, I’ve heard there are some pockets of the game where communities have set up shops and inns.

I decide to go on the offensive and join the forum to set up notifications regarding the PKer. If he’s spotted again, I’ll get a message on my King’s League messaging app. That way I can open it in game and get real time info about good old Fire Pants.

Satisfied with that, I retrieve my food and proceed to open YouTube and start browsing. I barely make it very far when I notice Salvatore’s channel. He’s about to go live.

I almost don’t watch it. Almost. But my own curiosity gets the better of me, and I can’t help myself. He’s been talking about some new info about the game recently, and I’d be stupid not to follow up on that. Maybe he’s full of it. Maybe not. But either way, I should probably find out.

There’s no sense being in the dark on something just because I don’t like the guy.

When his face appears, I lean forward in my chair and take a bite of what is probably the worst and best frozen burrito I’ve ever had. It’s a little clumpy and burns going down, but the flavor is great.

“Welcome back to the show,” Salvatore says, smiling. “Last time, we talked about how to make money in King’s League and where to farm the best XP. Everyone who stayed to the end of that video also got a special preview about an upcoming contest I’m holding. If you missed it, you’ll want to rewatch that video right now. Go on. I’ll wait.”

Oh, that’s right. I meant to watch that one and completely forgot about it. Who could blame me for being a little preoccupied with leveling in the game, though? It’s the only thing I’ve thought of over the last few days. And Salvatore is... well, right now he’s just not that important. His threat isn’t forgotten, but one I’ll have to deal with later.

The video in question is pretty long. I skip ahead to the last part, near the 58 minute mark. It’s here that Salvatore transitions from talking about where to gain decent experience--which is nothing new for anyone who knows their way around the game--and finally gets to the real reason I’m here.

“Now for the big secret,” Salvatore says. “Which isn’t really a secret, so much as a game. As most of you know, I’ve got loads of gold. Enough to set me up for life and then some. That’s what happens when you’re the best.” I roll my eyes at his arrogance but keep listening. “I’ve had all the endorsements and deals. And I’ve got more coming in all the time because I’m not stupid and I invested it with the right people. Smart, right?”

More bragging, same as always. I hope there’s more to this than that.

“The point is, I can afford to hold a legit contest with a prize that pays enough to make it worth the time.” He leans closer to the camera. “Do you want to make fifty thousand gold? How about seventy-five thousand? Sounds pretty good right? Well, all you have to do is kill someone for me. In the game, I mean, and you gotta do it quick.”

“Huh?” I mutter.

“You heard me right. Welcome to Salvatore’s Bounty. Every day, I’m going to make a video where I drop a name. If you can find them and take them out, you’ll get the gold. But you gotta show me proof, so I’ll be asking for a specific item. Say, a sword or a piece of armor. It’s my way of getting back at all the fools who tried to screw me.”

I stop chewing, not liking where this is going.

“And since I’ve got a whole list, I’ve gone ahead and organized them from lowest value to highest. We’ll start at the bottom and go to the top, which means every new name on the list is worth more than the last. Pretty cool, right?” He laughs. “Oh, and don’t worry. Even if no one gets the kill, I’ll still release a new name every day. And the contest starts tomorrow, so make sure you tune in and watch. Trust me, you don’t want to miss out. I’ve got the best items in the game, tons of gold, and a grudge to settle with a whole bunch of jackasses. See you soon, boys and girls.”

And with that, the stream cuts out. As quickly as I can, I pull up the one from today and hit play.

Salvatore smiles at the camera and gives his usual introduction. “Looks like I’ve got double the views from yesterday,” he says, looking down at his monitor before chuckling. “No surprise. I know what you guys are here for. Let’s get started. Today’s pick is…” He drums his hands on something I can’t see, beneath the camera. “Carbuncle Fumes!” It’s a name I’m not familiar with, but it must be someone Salvatore hates. “Wow! Sucks to be this guy, am I right? Too bad, Carby. Too bad.”

Beside his face, the name appears, along with the number 50,000.

“We’ll start the bounty at 50k,” Salvatore says. “Carby ain’t worth much compared to the rest, but that’s still nothing to laugh at. Remember, whoever gets the kill first wins the money, but you have to bring a prize to show you did it. In this case, I want to see his Cloak of Blue Tidings in your inventory. If you can’t get it, then I want something equally good. Don’t let me down, people.”

The screen cuts out and Salvatore disappears.

Holy crap. Was that real? Did that psycho just start a race to kill someone who crossed him? I know that people can put bounties on others in-game or even privately. I'm not a big fan of it and Salvatore putting this hit out to his entire subscriber base via stream is just ridiculous. What a douchebag. In all my time playing King’s League, this is a first. Hell, I’m not even sure it’s legal.

Does this mean he’ll turn the mob against me soon? Deep down I know the answer. I’m more than likely at the very top of his list. So, what’s he going to offer for me and my friends? Because I’m not naïve enough to think he’ll leave them out of this.

I sit there, not sure of what to do next. The minutes pass, and after a while I reach for the headset. It’s all I can think to do. Play. Level. Spend my time productively until I figure something out.

18

The fifth floor is filled with traps: spiked floors, hanging axes that swing back and forth if you step on the wrong tile, and pools of lava along the side of the hallway that I know will come into play later, since I’ve already scouted this place.

Instead of feeling excited about finally seeing the completion of this dungeon, I’m stuck in my own head over this morning’s livestream. Part of me wants to tell the group all about it. The other half knows better than to draw their attention on something that, for now, doesn’t really matter.

If I’m right, Salvatore will save me for last. He made it sound like his little hit list is pretty long, so I think there’s some time before I have to worry. For now, I’m happy to grind with my friends.

Rose is clearly excited by the way her character is dancing around. It makes me think of when I first started playing this game with Brian. We’d spent a fair amount of time learning the mechanics of the game, including all the fun animations our avatars could do. Stoneburner is using the cheer animation. Spyce is just watching but with a wide grin on her face.

The elf has come a long way since our first meeting and I for one am happy about it. Spyce is definitely better as an ally than an enemy. My thoughts slide back to Salvatore for a second. He’d be an idiot to go after her. After any of us really, but Salvatore doesn’t seem to be thinking straight.

We’re nearing the end, and even though Spyce and I might have the experience and the levels, we’re still in mentoring-mode. While Stoneburner and Rose have learned and adapted surprisingly well to their new roles, they aren’t quite where they should be. Not really. And who can blame them for that? They’ve gained a crazy number of levels in a matter of days, but it takes time to master all those spells and abilities. It will take them time, no matter how good they seem to be right now.

Which is another reason I can’t spill the beans about Salvatore just yet. They need every ounce of focus they can muster in order to get us through to the end. I never got to see what lies at the end of this dungeon, so I can’t know for certain what we’ll encounter. And for that reason alone, I push everything out of my head for the time being.

Everything but this.

I clear my throat. “Ahem. You guys going to get some playing in at all today?” My tone makes it clear I’m teasing, and everyone laughs.

Stoneburner stops the cheering and goes into a bow. “You are right, of course, friend Dirk. Our quest is not yet complete.”

“It’s the last level,” I continue with a nod. “That means it’s going to be hard. Just because we leveled up doesn’t mean we just run in there with swords swinging.”

“Shrewd advice,” Stoneburner says with a studious nod.

“Glad to hear it. Everybody fill up on whatever supplies you need. After that, we’re going to finish the last level. Then it’s on to Hagz to find this PK asshole.”

Level 5 starts out pretty tame, but it quickly amps up the difficulty. And by that I mean you essentially dodge traps with almost no encounters beyond some fire spiders and things like that. It’s all one big, infernal machine built into the final level. The place is just full of pressure plates, trip wires, levers, snares, and most nefarious of all, false keyholes meant to trick you into using the dungeon keys you collected—you need them all to face the final boss, which is where the real difficulty for this level lies once you figure out the traps.

I have to remind myself to stay focused and avoid the traps. Keep in mind, we’ve blitzed our way through levels one through four again to grab the XP on the way here, but I know it’s really because of those streams. Salvatore is living rent free in my head.

Shake it off, Dirk.

The fifth level grows progressively hotter as we move down. You can almost feel the heat coming off of bubbling lava that laps up against the raised stone pathway that leads beyond all the traps and false doors designed to kill. No reward, no tough monster to grind on the other side, just an insta-death fall or a stone that gets dropped from above, closing walls to crush you to death—even some Indiana Jones type poison arrows that shoot from walls. All of it designed to keep you from reaching the final Guardian—the legendary Hydra.

We reach the final door; five keyholes that form a half-circle with the fifth key in the middle. Above each keyhole, etched into a marble stone door is the face of the various guardians we’ve killed to make it this far. Medusa, the Centaur, the troll—which really seems out of place when I think about it—and the Great Lion. In the middle is a five-headed Hydra.

As we put in each of the four keys in, the area around it lights up a different color. The first glows red, then blue, yellow, green, and finally, a large black key appears in the hydra’s hole and glows. I know. How does black glow? It’s more of a fuzzy white and gray shadow that generates around a deep blackness.

“Here we go,” Spyce says and I wonder if she’s feeling nervous. If she is, it’s probably for the others. This fight is notoriously difficult, and even though we’ve leveled up, I’m having the same concerns over whether Rose, Stoneburner, and especially Nogg, can survive.

There’s a loud clunk as though some lock has just dropped away and then the stone door swings open with a loud, mortar and pestle grinding noise. The chamber before us is little more than a thirty meter square stone platform surrounded on all sides by lava. Originally, the Hydra was a water serpent… in King’s League they have it swimming in molten rock.

So that’s new.

As we step inside, the beast emerges from the magma and partially beaches itself on the stone before us. This is all for show—I hope—and what a show it is! The thing is easily four meters high with five heads that match the glowing colors on the door’s activated keyholes. The heads snap and wave back and forth menacingly.

Of course, we’re ready for this. “Everybody remember what the heads do?”

They all say they do and for good reason. You don’t go into a fight like this blind unless you’re the first ever to do it. Each colored head has a specific attack or skill. The strongest of the heads is the black one, which exclusively defends Yellow, the healer. Blue and Red use ice and fire magic, respectively. Green spews acid—a non-magical attack.

Here’s another fun fact I learned in my mythology class. That whole, “Hail Hydra! Cut off one limb and two more shall take its place” thing is based on an addition to the hydra myth that came later. The earliest tellings of the tale just have the Hydra as a multi-headed monster. Scary enough for the poet who initially put Hercules up against it. Then some other poet came along and added the new twist.

Thankfully, this Hydra won’t grow new heads once we take one down. The trick is going to be knocking them out. The key to it all is the yellow head, of course. As long as it’s healing, it’s going to be a real pain to knock out the other heads.

Well, it’s now or never. Our buffs are in place, everyone has Regeneration going… let’s get ready to rumble.

“Let’s do this,” I say, sounding pretty cool if I do say so myself.

We focus our attacks on the Yellow head after I cast Silence. Two arrows hit before the black head snaps into place to protect Yellow. I switch from bow to casting, knowing that Spyce will attempt to hit it from a different angle. Meanwhile, Stoneburner is up close and attacking the monster and drawing aggro. He’ll only be able to hit its heads when they go in for an attack but he can strike the body now—in game the damage he does there will be evenly distributed to all the living heads.

Stoneburner can expect ten seconds of peace thanks to the Silence spell, only having to watch for an acid attack. The green head does just that, vomiting acid that splashes on his upturned shield like rain hitting an umbrella.

Meanwhile I send a fireball at the blue head, dealing out double damage. I send them in rapid succession, hoping that when Yellow gets out of the Silence spell’s effects, it focuses on healing Blue instead of itself.

“Dirk!” Spyce calls. “Getting blocked by Black. Take your shot!”

I switch from fireballs to my bow and send Shafts of Deep Hurting into yellow. I’m using my Ancient Bow of Casting, which adds +2 damage per attack and also drains 10% of the target’s mana with each hit. That combined with the magical arrows, which deal double damage since Yellow has no special resistances, is going to be crucial to getting the healer head out of the fight.

You’d think right about now that killing Black first would be the best strategy, but a lot of players die going that route. Its HP is just too high and Yellow is able to keep it up while Blue, Red, and Green pick you apart. In reality, it’s the last head you want to kill. All it can do is offer bite damage and absorb a ton of punishment.

I get one shot in on Yellow before Black moves to block me. Dang. This could be a while and our ten seconds of Silence are up.

Instantly Yellow heals Blue. That’s good, though, it means that the damage we’ve done to the healer head won’t be erased immediately. I turn back to launching Fireballs at the blue head, which keeps it dancing in the air and unable to attack. The splash damage does some minor damage to Yellow, Green, and Black as well—Red is totally immune to the fire damage, though.

Spyce and I trade off attacks, and I’m hopeful that we’re keeping Yellow weak enough and low enough on mana that it can’t help much and will die soon. But… nope. It heals itself, a soft, twinkling light forming around its own head to indicate what it had done. Without Graydon’s Sight to tell me exactly, I can only hope that the healing didn’t undo too much of the damage Spyce and I had done.

I keep sending fireballs, Stoneburner keeps taunting the other heads and slashing at its stomach, dodging acid and fire attacks as best he’s able while Rose keeps the healing going. The blue head starts to show real signs that we’ve almost got it dead when, all of a sudden, the hydra retreats back into the magma and disappears beneath the surface.

“Okay be ready,” I tell the team. “It’ll burst up again somewhere at random.”

The trouble is, there’s no safe place to stand. We’ve got Nogg and Rose back, but “back” is a relative term. If the hydra decides to surface and beach itself on that section of the rock, there’s nothing we can do about it. I move to protect Nogg while Stoneburner stays close to Rose.

When the hydra comes up, it's near Rose. Immediately the black head swings itself toward her and Stoneburner, using its long neck like a baseball bat. He manages to jump over the attack but Rose gets caught full on. She goes tumbling across the stone…

And right over the edge into the lava.

“Rose!” Spyce calls and then runs toward her. She was the nearest to where Rose went over and is at the edge almost as soon as Rose goes over the side.

Spyce reaches down and pulls Rose off of the surface of the lava. Not the most realistic thing in the world, but the damage Rose likely suffered in that split-second tells a different story. The pit is meant to function as an insta-kill to anyone who spends more than a few seconds on its surface. It was Spyce’s quick reaction that kept it from being so for Rose.

“I’m alive,” Rose says, but her voice sounds like she doesn’t think she’ll stay that way for long. “Five percent health. Gotta heal.”

“Use potions in between castings,” I tell her. “Spyce, keep her safe.”

“Can do, but keep the pressure on,” she shoots back. “Yellow just healed Blue again.”

Stoneburner is taunting for all he’s worth and I’m trying to hit Yellow, but black has its eyes on me and absorbs my every volley. Crap. This isn’t going well.

With Rose down, the damage starts to build up against Stoneburner. He’s doing more dodging and rolling than attacking as ice and fire magic chase him and Green pukes out acid as well.

“We’re not doing enough DPS to take this thing down,” I tell the team.

“Yeah,” says Spyce, aiming her throwing knives as best she can from near Rose. “So what’re you gonna do about it?”

It really does fall to me. I’m the only one who is free to attack unfettered. I’m just glad the thing didn’t come up by Nogg. He’d surely be dead right now. Rose was able to brace herself against the attack even though she didn’t dodge. Nogg would have sat there like a ball on a tee. The hydra would have launched him into the cheap seats and there’d be no recovering him there.

Thinking about Nogg gives me an idea that just might save the day. We need more DPS, which means we need more attackers. We can’t very well summon additional party members from Dawnshire to help. But that doesn’t mean we can’t summon some other help.

“Switching to Nogg,” I tell the team.

“Quickly, friend Dirk,” Stoneburner says. “I fear I cannot last long!”

Once I’m up as Nogg I confirm that things are about as bad as I thought they would be. Stoneburner’s health is down to just 210 points, Rose still looks like a single strong attack will take her down, and the Hydra heads are all sitting pretty.

Red: 1,000/1,200 HP, 300/400 Mana

Blue: 710/1,200 HP, 300/400 Mana

Green: 930/1,200 HP, 0/0 Mana

Yellow: 860/1,200 HP, 650/1,000 Mana

Black: 3,800/4,000 HP, 0/0 Mana

I don’t spend any further time checking things out. Using Morgo’s Delectable Choker, I summon Morgo’s Goblin Horde. Twenty-five goblin NPCs show up out of nowhere and to my great relief they attack the Hydra instead of my party. The Legendary Artifact comes through!

The goblins are all level five, which means they won’t last long, but there are a lot of them and they’re wildly throwing spears, shooting arrows, and otherwise doing everything they can to take down the Hydra. There are too many attackers for the black head to keep up with and hits are getting through to Yellow and every other head. These goblins won’t kill the Hydra for us, but they’ve given us the opening we need to do it ourselves.

“Spyce!” I yell. “Time to pour it on.”

“Right,” she calls back. “Rose, Stoneburner, you’re on your own. Stay alive!”

I don’t have time to switch back to Dirk. Damage needs to be dealt right now. I cast Solar Flare on the black head to begin with, inflicting 60 points of heat damage, which should be higher but that thing clearly has some magical resistance. It’s the blindness effect of the spell that I’m really after, though. We’ll get three seconds of it not knowing what’s happening plus however long it takes for the thing to regain its bearings.

Spyce is already targeting the yellow head and now I join in, casting lightning storm and then hitting the yellow head with three consecutive fireballs. In three seconds I’ve delivered 400 points of damage. That combined with Spyce and the goblin’s attacks has yellow down to 320 HP.

“Almost there!” I shout as the black head shakes the last effects of the solar flare attack away and begins to look to protect yellow.

“Don’t let it heal itself!” calls Spyce.

There’s only one way I can think of to prevent that while playing as Nogg. If I were using Dirk, I’d risk losing my Cursed Dagger of Ice to the lava by throwing it at Yellow to permanently stop its mana regeneration. But since I can’t do that, I need to give Yellow a new priority heal target for its next mana expenditure.

Yup… I’ve got to use another charge on the stave. I take aim and hit the red head for 400 damage, which is doubled due to its weakness to ice attacks. 800 points of damage and now Red is down to 160 HP.

As expected, Yellow heals the weakest head of its body. This is our shot to take it down. I see Spyce readying to throw a poisoned dagger.

“Hold up, Spyce!”

She hesitates, but I can tell that she’s confused about why we’re not attacking. But then she sees what I see, the black head moves to protect yellow from a goblin spear-chucker, leaving the healer head open to both our more powerful attacks.

“Now!”

I start launching fireballs with one hand and alternate between Lightning Storm and Ice Shards with the other. Spyce hurls a poisoned blade that has to be extremely potent into Yellow, because it starts to pitch and sway as though ill. The goblins add their meager damage, just 10-20 points max, but still something and then the yellow head drops limp, laying down against the serpent’s body like a chicken with a broken neck.

“Huzzah!“ yells Stoneburner.

The hydra immediately slips back into the lava.

“Everyone form up on me,” I say. “When that thing resurfaces, we need to be ready to protect one another from taking heavy damage.”

Rose and Stoneburner limp to me, Spyce watching their backs while Rose casts heals. We follow with our own heals. The goblins, their numbers reduced by half, chatter and look around suspiciously. They know this fight isn’t over.

We get a lucky break when the Hydra resurfaces close to the goblins. Black launches several of the little guys into the lava. The other heads do their part as well. Blue blasts a cone of cold that freezes two of them to the floor. Two more are incinerated by Red belching flames. The immobile goblins frozen to the floor are showered with another regurgitation of acid from Green. By the time the acid spreads to the floor, all that’s left of those goblins are bones and the stone heads of their weapons.

Just like that, Morgo’s Goblin horde is gone. But that’s okay. We’re in good position to handle this fight now that the hydra can’t self-heal.

Red is still the weakest head. Yellow’s healing gave it back a whopping 300 HP, but it’s still below 600. I cast Bees of the Valley just to distract the heads and then start focusing ice attacks on Red. Without Yellow on hand to heal, we’re able to finish Red off. Blue goes down quickly as well, succumbing to the onslaught of fireballs.

The hydra disappears beneath the lava again. By the time it comes up, I’ve switched back to Dirk. Playing with the helm again was great, but Nogg can’t do the damage Dirk can. Things are almost academic once the now two-headed Hydra goes after us. I take some acid damage, but Rose has healed herself enough to be able to give me a heal. I hit Green with arrows and fireballs until it joins the others in death.

Black is the last threat and despite its high HP and resistance, it doesn’t last long. Stoneburner draws agro, careful to deflect its attacks while Spyce and I do damage up close. With the other heads dead, any damage we do to the body goes 100% to Black. That leaves us with a big target and though we are occasionally knocked down or back—not to mention bitten—we’re able to do enough damage and keep on our toes well enough that Black never hurls any of us off the rock and into the lava.

Spyce lands the final hit. The last head of the hydra roars its last and then the beast slumps forward, waiting to be looted.

“Oh man,” I say. “I thought that would never end. Good work, everyone.”

“I thought I was a goner,” says Rose.

“I confess the same,” Stoneburner adds. “But I am pleased to be mistaken.”

“Good thinking summoning those goblins, Dirk.” Spyce nods in approval. “Think you can do it again because that could be useful.”

“I don’t know. The hydra definitely killed them all. I honestly had no idea how many would come or what their level would be. Twenty-five was a nice surprise.”

As the ticker continued tallying our exploits, Spyce asked, “What level were they?“

“Five.”

She considers. “Maybe it’s based on a percent of your base level.”

I shrug. “Maybe. I’ll see if I can summon them again. We should see some level ups here, anyway. Might as well see how Nogg fares.”

Sure enough, the fanfare begins and level ups ensue. Nogg hits 74, definitely buoyed by how much damage he did to the hydra. Stoneburner is at 71 and Rose comes in at 70. I try to bring out more goblins, but they aren’t home.

I switch back to Nogg. “Well, no luck on more goblins. But not a total shutout—I got a message that said Morgo’s Goblin Horde is unavailable at this time.”

“So… maybe another time,” concludes Spyce.

“I hope so. It could really be useful. But the good news is…” I raise my voice for everyone to hear, “we’re good to go! Really great work!”

“Does this mean we’re done with the temple?” Rose asks. “Because I seriously don’t think I want to see these walls again. And I definitely don’t want to face off against that Hydra.”

“Yep. We’re done,” I confirm.

“Our next adventure awaits!” booms Stoneburner. “I must confess, I’ve enjoyed this. I never dreamed I’d reach such soaring heights when it comes to leveling.”

“In that case,” Rose says, “Here.” She turns to Spyce and offers back the belt.

Spyce arches her eyebrow and takes it back. “Thank you, Rose. You’ve really proved yourself these last few days. You’re the right person for this party.”

“Well, thank you. Of course, the fact that you could kill me in less than a minute helps the decision to do the right thing.” Rose giggles. “But, no, I appreciate everything you guys have done for me. This is a gift. To level up this high this fast—it’s amazing!

“And I,” Stoneburner says, “have a ring for you, Friend Dirk. I return it as a token of the bond of our friendship.”

“Never had any doubt.”

I take the ring back and nod toward the hydra carcass. “Let’s see what we’ve got waiting for us inside that thing and divvy it up.”

We get a thousand gold pieces and a variety of weapons—none of which are worthy of replacing the gear we have though.

The keepers include something for Rose and something for Stoneburner.

Circlet of the Dragon Priestess

Magical

Durability 50/50

Increases healing spells by 10%

Guess who gets that one?

Bonebreaker Armor

Magical

Durability 500/500

2% Physical Damage Reduction

Part of a set, but Stoneburner is happy with it. Especially the durability. That armor will take a serious licking before it loses its defensive abilities.

“Feels weird to say it,” I begin, “but let’s call it a day.”

“A normal playing sesh,” Rose says jokingly. “No marathons?”

“Only done for today,” I say, smiling. “Tomorrow is a new challenge and I know we’re going to crush it.”

19

I open my eyes the next morning and lay there for a few moments just taking in the last couple of days. Grinding the dungeon had been exhausting, but worth it.

We now had an entire party at level 70 or more, something that was unheard of unless you were part of a uber successful guild like Salvatore’s former Dark Riders. Granted they were a lot bigger and had—or used to have—Salvatore at their backs.

Speaking of Salvatore, I should probably check up on the psychopath and see what he’s up to. A knot curls in my belly as I open my browser and pull up his channel. Sure enough, there’s a new video.

The title this time is, “First Bounty Collected. Second Bounty TBA.”

TBA, to be announced. Hmm. Since that’s the information I’m stuck watching the video. Salvatore, sitting in an expensive gaming chair, stares smugly at the camera.

“What’s up, boys and girls?” His smile widens to Cheshire grin level before he gets it under control. “Welcome back. I assume you’re tuning in to find out who collected the bounty for Carbuncle Fumes. Well, she doesn’t seem to mind. Folks, SLAY3R MAID3N took that honor late last night. And…” I try not to groan as Salvatore pauses and drums the table for dramatic effect. “She sent me evidence. Take a look.”

I lean forward, not exactly eager to see a fellow player get taken out, but in anticipation nonetheless. The screen switches to an in-game feed and I’m treated to a view of a sparkling blue ocean. The view rotates a little, giving me a glimpse of SLAY3R’s surroundings.

There’s a sandy beach that leads to some far off cliff. I know exactly where this is. The Shores of Kujar. On dry land, I spot a camp. It’s surrounded by a wall of sharpened timber to keep trespassers out.

I recognize the flag flying above the highest tower. It’s another guild. A big one, almost as well known as the Dark Riders. They call themselves the Alpha Guard because in order to be in their guild, you have to prove you were either an alpha or beta tester for the game.

The camp is pretty large and even boasts an inn for it’s guild members, but functions mostly as a clubhouse. By all accounts it’s a decent group with hundreds of players attached. I’ve only seen streams about it from those who are in the guild. It looks pretty cool but I never got around to requesting membership. Once I played enough to be jaded over how crappy other players could be, I preferred to play with Brian instead of joining a big guild.

SLAY3R MAID3N walks right in, so she must be a member. It feels a little like I’m watching a medieval movie as she walks through the middle of camp and makes a beeline for a large building at one end. She gets a few curious stares but ignores everyone. SLAY3R is completely focused on her task.

She enters the inn and walks across the community room to the stairs. From what I saw outside they go up three levels, but she exits after reaching the second. Then it’s a short distance to her destination.

My breath is a little shallow and I realize I haven’t moved since the clip began. The suspense is killing me. I shake it off and keep watching as SLAY3R knocks on the door. It’s opened by none other than Carbuncle Fumes himself.

“You’re back,” he says, sounding nervous.

“I am,” SLAY3R replies.

It’s the first time I’m hearing her voice and I have to admit I’m surprised. Her voice is deep and a little husky. Definitely older, as in could be my grandmother older. You get people from all walks of life in this place, that’s for sure. Still, most of the people I’ve encountered have been somewhere between teenagers and Stoneburner’s age.

Carbuncle stands back to let SLAY3R in and my thoughts come back to the scene unfolding in front of me.

“Well, did you talk to him?” Carbuncle asks when the door is closed.

“I did. I’m sorry, but we couldn’t reach an agreement. I was willing to give him half but he said no.”

“So, what now?” Carbuncle is frowning and starts to pace. He’s not paying any attention to what SLAY3R is doing—moving closer. “I can’t leave the base with this bounty on my head.”

“No. You can’t.” SLAY3R sounds perfectly reasonable, soothing even. “I’m sorry, Carb. You’re going to have to leave the guild until this is taken care of. Once it is you can always come back. Unless Salvatore puts another bounty on your head. I really wish you hadn’t cheated him.”

Carbuncle throws his hands up. “Over 100 measly gold! This is bullshit. I’m not leaving. You can’t throw me out like that damn genie does over in Dawnshire. I’ve paid my dues here.”

“That’s true, which is why I tried to cut a deal. But so long as you’re stuck here you can’t contribute to the guild. What if Salvatore decides to target everyone else for harboring you? The decision is made.”

SLAY3R is now in arm’s reach of Carbuncle. I know what must be coming but I still feel sorry for the poor bastard. Options start to appear in SLAY3R’s view screen as she focuses on her guild mate.

“This should be illegal,” Carbuncle snarls.

“Maybe, but it’s not. Don’t take this personally, okay? Like I said, you’re always welcome.”

Not to self: Never join that guild.

Carbuncle’s head comes up when the words register. At the same time, he tries to cast a spell, but it’s too late. SLAY3R has cast something of her own—some kind of paralyzing spell—and he’s frozen. She doesn’t waste any time and the 1000+ XP banner lights up her screen. A moment later she’s looting his corpse. She gets all the gold he has on him, some minor healing potions, and a few rotting teeth.

This is probably all of what he had on him when Salvatore put the bounty on him. Well, that and the Cloak of Blue Tidings, which SLAY3R collects. It’s nothing special when it comes to stats. Mostly average as far as armor goes. It looks like its main purpose is to provide the wearer with a luck boost of 10% when it comes to wealth.

The video ends rather abruptly, and my screen is filled with Salvatore once more. I lean back in annoyed surprise. Even on a computer he’s too close.

He spreads his hands wide and laughs. “And there you have it, kids. My thanks to SLAY3R MAID3N who is now FIFTY THOUSAND gold richer. She even got to keep the cloak.” He winks at the camera. “And that’s the end of the line for old Carby.”

A trumpet of sad fanfare plays as the fallen player’s image is plastered over the screen with a red X. It shrinks and zooms to the upper left hand corner of the screen. Eleven more images, all pixelated with a large question mark over them remain.

At least now we know how many targets Salvatore is planning on.

“Up next…” Salvatore pauses to let the next picture lose its question mark. My heart sinks because the new target has a shop in Dawnshire.

“Sting Rae!” He makes a tsk tsk noise and shakes his head sadly. “She betrayed me and my guild. Can’t have that. Still, she’s hardly worth the effort. This bounty goes for 75,000 gold. Will you be the one to get rich today?”

With that, Salvatore ends the feed.

* * *

My phone dings, pulling my attention away from the blank screen. It’s my alarm. I’m supposed to meet Stone, Spyce, and Rose in thirty minutes. My original plan was to take a shower. A quick sniff of one armpit confirms that’s what I should probably do, but I decide it can wait a little longer.

There’s something I want to do before the five of us set off for Hagz. I want to speak to StingRae. I have intimate knowledge of her alleged betrayal to Salvatore. To quote the recently deceased Carbuncle Fumes: “This is bullshit.”

Her only crime is leaving Salvatore’s disgraced Dark Riders and becoming part of Dawnshire. She’s thriving in our little community and I’m sure hasn’t had anything to do with Salvatore since I beat him in our duel.

I shoot her a message on the King’s League app and get an instant response; yes, she’s in the game, working at her auction house. Relief bolts through me and I reply for her not to leave. She sounds confused, but not worried. I get the distinct impression she has no idea what Salvatore has done.

Less than two minutes later I’m walking through Dawnshire and headed for her shop. The auction house is pretty cool. If you have goods to buy or trade but don’t want to go all the way to the River Market, this is a great place to save time. It helps that we have a low tax in Dawnshire. The place is always busy and has only grown since StingRae opened her business. She’s well liked and important to our little community. No way am I going to let Salvatore mess with her.

StingRae waves cheerfully when she sees me come in. “Hey, Dirk!”

I feel like a jerk because I’m about to shatter her good mood. “Hey, Rae. Do you have somewhere private we can talk?”

My tone must give me away because she hesitates for a split second before answering. “Uh, sure. One sec. Stryker, I’m taking a few minutes. Watch the place?” When the elf by the door agrees, StingRae motions for me to follow her. “I have an office. The genie just put one in during the last upgrade. It’s actually pretty functional. Plus, it’s quiet. Sometimes when I need a break I walk my avatar in here and go get a snack.”

Her chatter indicates that she’s nervous. Way to go, Dirk. You came here to put her at ease and managed to freak her out in under thirty seconds. Not to mention it’s probably a good thing she doesn’t know about the bounty. At this very moment, I was meeting her in a secluded area. Exactly what SLAY3R MAID3N had done right before killing her own guild mate. Not that I could since Dawnshire doesn’t allow player killing, but still. Smooth.

Once we’re both inside her office, StingRae closes the door and turns to face me, all traces of lightheartedness gone. “Okay, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Are you keeping up with what Salvatore is doing these days?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No way. Not after what happened before. When I left the Dark Riders, I purged my computer of any file he shared with us and muted his name so I don’t see any news about him on the web. Everything about him just feels… tainted. Honestly, I just wanted to forget about him. It’s bad enough that I keep a lookout for Dark Riders.”

“I know what you mean,” I say, nodding.

When I don’t continue her eyes narrow in suspicion. “Why do you ask?”

“Let’s just say I don’t think he forgot about you. Look, it’s probably easier for me to show you. Watch this video. I’ll stay here until you come back.”

I send the link via the messaging app, then wait while she opens it. Her hands move toward her face and I can tell she’s pushing the headset up. She doesn’t remove anything else and her avatar’s hands begin mirroring what she’s doing in the real world—opening her phone’s browser and pressing play.

While StingRae watches the video, I study her office. One wall holds three bookcases. The shelving on the left and right are nearly full. On closer inspection, I see that they are fakes, just there for aesthetics, which isn’t altogether surprising. Out of curiosity I check out the sparser bookcase in the middle.

The tomes there turn out to be interactable. They’re auction house books of knowledge. Huh. That’s pretty cool. How to Run an Auction House Vol. 1. History of Auction Houses. Guide to Managing Customers.

I pick up the history book and get a long-winded passage about how auction houses came to be in King’s League lore. Not exactly riveting stuff, at least not to me. It details how they started back when the gods were warring, and crops weren’t as plentiful. Townsfolk came together and began trading, which led to the modern(ish) day auction house.

The next book gives me pause. Auction House Ledger. I knew King’s League had books like the guide and history examples I had in front of me, but real time ledgers were new. When I wave my hand over it, a prompt appears asking if I’d like to review the business. I almost do it, then think better of it. It appears that with my status as Graydon’s champion and town leader I have the ability to access the ledger, but it still feels wrong.

A sharp intake of breath behind me draws my attention back to StingRae. Her hands are fumbling with something, her headset, I think. A second later her avatar looks normal again and she’s staring at me.

“I can’t believe it. He put a bounty on me because I left his idiot guild after he got killed? We barely even spoke to each other. I didn’t even think he knew who I was.”

“He clearly does. The question is what to do about it.”

StingRae’s hands drop to her side. “If you want me to leave, I will. I don’t want to bring anymore Salvatore trouble to your door.

I stare at her for a few seconds in shock. “What? Why would you ever think that?”

“I don’t know… After seeing what SLAY3R MAID3N did and why, I guess I wouldn’t blame you. I was with the Dark Riders for a while after all.”

“The past is the past.” I wave a dismissive hand. “You’ve become part of the Dawnshire community, Rae. And Salvatore’s an S.O.B. You think I’m going to let him—or anyone doing his bidding—and try to hurt my friends?”

She offers a smile at that. “So we’re friends?”

“Of course. You’re one of my people. Plus you built this auction house and it’s a big part of Dawnshire. Salvatore’s just a big bully. He’s mad he lost the duel and now he’s stuck in Golden, unless he wants to start back at level zero.”

StingRae lets out a snort. “We both know he won’t do that willingly. Alright, so you’re not going to give me the boot. What do we do?”

“Stay here for now. Don’t leave the town limits or you’ll be open to attacks. Just focus on the auction house until we can sort this out.”

“That could be a long time,” she murmurs. “75 thousand gold to take me out. A lot of people know I’m here. Anyone and everyone can come harass me.

I grin. “That’s not strictly true. I took the liberty of instructing the genie to ban anyone who starts a fight in the town. Doesn’t matter if they can’t kill anyone. If they want to try, they’re out. Word should spread pretty quickly, but I’ll send a message out too. Might even stream it, now that I think about it.”

“Dirk… I don’t know what to say. You’re being pretty nice and you don’t have to. I’m mad I ever had anything to do with Salvatore and his guild.”

“Like you said, he was convincing. Don’t worry about it. You’re not the only one on his list so some of the heat will go to the new bounty when he announces the next victim tomorrow.”

“I guess I’ll stay put then,” she agrees. “I just hope this is over sooner than later. I don’t mind running the auction house, but I do like to get out and play the game too. I’m only at 41.”

“We’ll figure something out. This is just like the embargo. And, hey. You saw the video. Don’t follow anyone outside Dawnshire. You never know who might be trying to stab you in the back.”

She frowns. “I didn’t think of that. You’re right. Man, this sucks.”

A knock at the door stops me from answering. When Rae opens it, two familiar faces are on the other side. Stoneburner and Spyce.

“What are you guys doing here?” I ask in surprise.

Stoneburner laughs. “Why, for the same reason as you, Friend Dirk! To warn StingRae about the most cruel bounty on her head.”

“You knew about that? And didn’t say anything?”

“Neither did you,” Spyce points out.

“Touché,” I mutter. “Well, come on in then. We were pretty much done. Rae’s just going to hunker down here for the time being.”

“That is a practical decision, milady,” Stoneburner remarks. “Dawnshire will offer the most security during this time.”

StingRae smiles appreciatively at Stoneburner. “Thanks, Stoneburner. I can’t even begin to say how helpful you and Nogg have been. That's what Dirk was just saying too. That and I shouldn't trust anyone.”

Spyce nods her agreement. “Smart. That’s a lot of gold to offer and I wouldn’t put it past anyone to try for it. At least you know no one can kill you off here.”

We leave StingRae at the auction house and head back to the temple. Rose is already waiting and gives us a curious look. “Where were you guys?”

I fill her in on what just transpired with the CliffsNotes version. When I finish, Rose is staring at me in shock. “Is that even allowed?”

“Why not? We may not like it, but player killing is allowed. Assassins have always been a thing in the game.” I don’t mention that Spyce used to be—well, I guess she might still be—one. That’s not my story to tell. “The only difference this time is Salvatore made his plans public.”

“The knave must be defeated,” says Stoneburner.

“Honestly, I don’t see how we can stop it.” Spyce looks worried, something I’m not used to seeing. “You heard him. He’s set for life. Presumably, he can just keep putting bounties on people until he runs out of enemies or he gets bored.”

I turn my attention to the group as a whole. “StingRae is safe for now. I have a feeling Salvatore is coming for me, and probably even you, Stoneburner.” He gives me a curt nod of acknowledgement. “I say we go to Hagz and track down the rogue PKer. Once we have the breeches we can deal with Salvatore.”

Stoneburner raises a hand. “I’m with you, friend Dirk. However, I should like to visit my shop and make sure everything is in order. I have neglected it of late.”

“That’s a good idea. Why don’t I go with you and make sure everything else looks good. Let’s be quick though. I want to get on the road.”

* * *

Stoneburner’s shop is running pretty well without him. I can’t tell if he’s pleased or bothered by that. Bowie, the helper brownie, is there working with the blacksmith’s other NPCs. When we walk in he immediately stops what he’s doing and makes his way to Stoneburner.

“Hello, merchant! I have been working hard to assist in the upkeep and expansion of your shop. I have managed to find a number of mastery tomes to further your personal instruction as well.”

He holds his hands out and I can tell that Stoneburner has been presented with a dialogue or prompt message box. He reaches out and taps the air, making his choice.

“Very good!” Bowie exclaims. “Please have a look around. I think you’ll be pleased. I need to take a break for a while, but I’ll be back soon. Merry Day!”

With that, the little brownie scampers off.

I turn to my friend. “What did he give you?”

“A book. The History of Smithing in King’s League. Rare Edition.”

“Dang. Was hoping it might be a special spell book. Maybe next time.”

Stoneburner’s turning pages in the book. “No spells, but once I read it I’ll gain an entire level toward blacksmith mastery.”

“That’s pretty good,” I reply, impressed. “Gotta love the rare edition status. Usually the books only give you minimal crafting experience.”

“Too bad I don’t have time to read it just yet,” Stoneburner says wistfully.

It occurs to me that the blacksmith might actually prefer working in his shop to playing. It’s his business, after all. Not for the first time I realize that Daniel is a really good friend. One willing to leave his livelihood in the hands of NPCs to help me out.

“After we deal with the PKer in Hagz,” I assure him. “Stone, listen. The grinding was time consuming and I wanted to say that I appreciate you being in the party. God knows I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

“No thanks are required. It brings me great joy to be of aid in any capacity. Shall we begin our next quest?”

* * *

The four of us are restocked, rested, and ready to see what awaits us when we set out for the Frozen Maw region that lies south east of Hagz. I’ve got Graydon’s Helm back, plus the ring and it makes me feel whole again. It’s almost physical, like letting out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

I considered using mounts to get there, but that would take more time. As good a skill as it is to learn—not to mention fun—we just don’t have the time for Stoneburner and Rose to get properly leveled up. Fire Pants is already long past the area where he was first spotted and free running all that way would take some time.

But even better than mounts are teleportation scrolls. Yes, they are expensive and only one-time use but this is exactly what I had in mind when I got them at the River Market. Unlike teleportation stones, which you need to physically anchor to a location, with the scrolls you can simply choose the location you want to jump to. The negative is that they are one-time use. And did I mention how expensive they are?

I didn’t buy them just to lay on top of them at night like a dragon above his horde. They’re worth using up for what we need to do right now.

“Everyone take a scroll,” I say, dropping them in everyone’s inventory. “We’re jumping to Hagz. If they’re not currently, make sure you anchor your teleportation stones to Dawnshire so we can quickly get back.”

“These are awesome!” Rose says excitedly. “I feel bad, though. You’ve done so much for me and teleportation scrolls aren’t cheap.”

“Right now, it’s the cost to travel faster and safer,” Spyce explains. “Otherwise we’d burn time and resources if we ran into any mobs or PK’s along the way. Thanks, Dirk. Good thinking.”

“No problem.” I open my item menu and select my teleportation scroll, then the location. “We’re going to transport ourselves to where he was last seen, then, hopefully, track him down. Easy peasy. Does everyone have their scroll ready?”

With my map up I can’t see them, but everyone assures me they’re prepared. “Let’s go on the count of three,” I say.

A quarter of a minute later, electricity crackles in the air and a pillar of light surrounds each of us.

“See you on the other side,” says Spyce with a wink.

Dawnshire fades away, replaced momentarily with a loading screen. We’re finally on our way.

20

We respawn in Leonidas, which lies in the southern part of the region. Leonidas is the largest city in Hagz and Fire Pants is reported as having spent plenty of time here. Supposedly it’s a relatively safe place to be. I don’t buy it, though. Not after what Pallydinator did to Wintersburg. For me, only the River Market and Dawnshire are truly safe.

I turn in a circle to take in my surroundings. We’re just outside the entrance. The sun is shining and everything in the immediate area is the kind of green that reminds me of spring.

Well, the spring you see in pictures. My apartment is in the city and the only park is usually filled with unsavory types. Not exactly the place you go to take in nature. I don’t have a car, so travel isn’t something I get to do. Experiencing the realistic imagery through King’s League is good enough for me.

Especially now, with the upgraded gear. This looks more like the real thing than the real thing, if that’s possible. The grass sways in a light digital wind and the sun glints off a nearby pond. It’s so realistic that the glare makes me want to cover my eyes. Maybe that’s a little too realistic. I make a mental note to see if I can find a setting to turn down.

“So, what now?”

Spyce’s serious voice interrupts my thoughts. She’s looking around too. From the way her brows are drawn together in a look of concentration I don’t think she’s checking out the scenery. It makes me feel a little guilty for getting sidetracked.

“Now we go in and see if we can dig up any clues,” I say, gesturing at the ingress. “We know from the forum that he’s partial to a certain tavern. The Drunken Donkey. We should start there.”

“Excellent idea.” Stoneburner turns to look inside the Leonidas town limits. I can tell what he’s thinking. The city is huge, much bigger than Dawnshire. Even if Fire Pants is here, it’ll be hard to find him.

“All we’re after right now is information,” I remind him. “The more information we have, the better chance we have at learning if he has a hideout somewhere. I’m hoping that people will be upset he’s player killing.”

“Let’s hope us asking questions doesn’t tip him off,” Spyce added.

She has a point but there isn’t much we can do about it. Fire Pants has to be found and stopped. I know it sounds a little vigilante but with the Graydon’s piece he’s nearly unstoppable.

“It might also draw him out.” We all turn to look at Rose in surprise. She clears her throat before talking again. “It’s a good idea. I just mean that if he somehow hears people are poking around, he might come to us and save us some trouble.”

I have to admit I’m impressed she thought of it. “Good thinking, Rose. I still want to be cautious though. All we know about him is that he’s wearing a piece of Graydon’s set and he’s ruthless. Taking him for granted would be a mistake at this point.”

Spyce makes a grunting sound. “Fine, but we should get going. Standing around waiting will only draw attention to us.”

“Yeah, let’s head for the Drunken Donkey,” I agree.

When we pass into Leonidas proper I almost wish I could smell. There are vending stalls lining the streets that offer a variety of wares, including consumable food. Black cooking pots bubble over and the sizzle of frying meat reminds me I haven’t had a decent meal in a while.

I’m taking in the sights but don’t let myself get too distracted. Stoneburner and Rose on the other hand, are rubbernecking, trying to take it all in as we go. I forgot they haven’t been here before.

They’ve both climbed almost 50 levels since we started grinding together. Before that, most of King’s League had been closed off to them. I remember Stoneburner mentioning watching live streams about Hagz to learn more about crafting recipes.

I’m surprised he doesn’t mention wanting to buy the upgraded materials he could get here, then it hits me. As usual, the blacksmith is being selfless. The guy never complains or asks for anything and I feel a little bad.

I’m going to do something for him. But first, Fire Pants.

The four of us wind through the streets and make our way deeper into the heart of Leonidas. I appreciate the city a little more because although it wasn’t part of the initial game available to alphas or even on release day, it was created by the original development team as one of the first expansions, so most consider it original anyway.

A cathedral with a soaring bell tower is visible from where we are even though it’s at another end of the city. Next to it is a massive castle that can’t be accessed. Unlike Ash City before it became Dawnshire, it’s no mystery as to why.

The devs use it for seasonal events. One year it was used to create an adventure puzzle type game for Halloween. Adventure puzzles are rare in King’s League. The mobs are significantly reduced and the only way to get the loot is by using logic to find your way to the end. Kind of like a digital escape room.

Another time for Winterfest, the castle was turned to ice and the devs created a bunch of mini games for players to compete at. Every year they do different things, but one aspect remains the same. Anything considered castle grounds is non PvP.

It makes the events really popular, but you still have to be high enough level to get to the castle without being killed. That means yours truly has never had the pleasure of attending.

I will now, that’s for sure, at least whenever the next one is.

A quick check of the map tells me that we’re close to the tavern. Sure enough, the sign comes into view a few moments later.

At my right, Spyce lets out a snort.

The sign depicts a donkey splayed out on the ground, its rear end poking up into the air. An overturned mug of ale lays in front of it and hiccup bubbles float in the air around the donkey’s head.

“What?” I ask with mock seriousness. “You’ve never seen a drunk donkey?”

She laughs at the dumb joke and shakes her head. “I have now.”

I pull open the door for her and the others, waiting until they’re all in before I cross the threshold myself.

My first impression of the joint isn’t much different from any other such place in the game. The lighting is dim enough to be both mysterious and comfortable. Low conversations ride the air, mingling together to a make a dull buzz. There are a few tables to my left occupied by people playing minigames like Knucklebones and Alquerque, though the King’s League version.

Aside from a few NPC servers, most everyone in the place are real players. That’s good news for us.

“Let’s try the bar,” I suggest.

The others follow me as I thread my way through the crowded space and grab an empty section near the barkeep. It takes me a second to realize that Spyce has broken off from the group and is now walking around the room. Judging from the straight line she’s walking, I figure she spotted something.

Since team chat is on, I feel safe asking her. “Spyce, did you find something?”

“I don’t know yet. Just stay there while I look around.”

A gruff voice stops me from responding. “Something I can get you?”

I turn back to find the human barkeep spotted us and has ambled over to take our order. The tag over his head reads BrewMeister99 and he’s a level 59.

“Sure,” I say. “What do you have?”

A virtual menu appears, and I quickly read over the offerings.

Dirty water – 1c

Ale – 1c

Mead – 1c

Questionable potion – 1s (Gives consumer complete immortality against all threats for one hour while transformed into a random mini pet.)

Hunk of spiced meat – 1c

Dragon jerky – 1g (All attack skills have increase of 25% Fire damage for 30 minutes. For healers, increased healing for any fire damage.)

Making up my mind, I almost tell him to give me an ale, then I see it. All the way at the bottom is one more option, smaller than the others. It reads:

Information – Dependent, at barkeep’s discretion. Minimum 10g, no maximum.

Interesting.

I select the dragon jerky to start. Once Spyce is back we can work out what questions to ask. Stoneburner and Rose have also selected the dragon jerky because three identical plates appear in front of us.

“Good choice,” I tell them. “The fire perks are helpful if we run into any trouble.”

Spyce returns just as we’re finishing up. When I explain about the dragon jerky, she’s eager to get some herself.

“Did you find anything?” I ask while her character consumes the food on her plate, in reality she’s just adding it to inventory, same as us. But, animations are gonna animate and seeing players eating and drinking adds to the ambiance.

“As a matter of fact, I did. There’s a community board over there.”

Community boards are a cool feature in King’s League, but not every shop owner chooses to utilize them because there’s a fee. There is a way to recoup that, however. The boards basically function the way an inn does. Someone pays to upkeep the board and players “rent” space to advertise whatever it is they need. That can be help with a dungeon, guild flyers, mentor offers. That sort of thing.

“And?” I press, wanting more information.

Spyce’s elf avatar turns to look at me. “Oh, there’s plenty of interesting things on it. A help wanted ad for slaying an ice troll. There was a request to trade for some rare potion the poster couldn’t find on the River Market. Oh, yeah. Almost forgot.” She gets an impish grin going and I get the feeling she saved the best for last. “A petition to ban the player killer named FyreK1ng. Here, I took a screenshot.”

I can’t help but grin when I open it. The image is even better than the one I have. The PKer’s—FyreK1ng’s, I guess—face is clearly visible. According to the petitioner, whose girlfriend FyreK1ng killed, the guy is a menace who needs to be stopped. When—more like if—the petition gets two hundred and fifty thousand signatures it will be submitted to King’s League customer support.

It brings back unpleasant memories of Salvatore trying to get me banned, but his attempt hadn’t been successful.

“That is definitely our quarry,” Stoneburner exclaims. “Most impressive work, Spyce.”

Spyce pushes the plate back and it disappears. “That’s not all. Another player organized a hunting party. Something about our guy killing most of his party during a dungeon raid. A lot of people have signed up.”

“Sounds like we’re on the right track,” I reply. “It also sounds complicated. If that many people are after him, he won’t be easy to track down. I’m sure he’s trying to be careful.”

“Something else, though? There’s a hitlist on the board.”

I frown. “A hitlist? As in assassin contracts?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s not against the rules?” asks Rose, speaking for the first time. “I know people do it, but I didn’t know you could advertise in game.”

“The devs have never had a problem with player killing. It’s just another aspect of the game to them, I guess.”

“Bounties and hitlists aren’t uncommon,” Spyce agrees. “Some guilds will create a settlement and try to fight back, but it seems to be accepted here. Makes me wonder why FyreK1ng is different.”

“I think it’s time to ask BrewMeister if he knows anything.” I signal the barkeep and he comes back.

In lieu of speaking, he offers the menu again. This time when it pops up, I select Information.

“Information works like this,” he begins when the menu goes away. “The first question is ten gold. It increases after that, but ultimately I have final say, depending on what you ask.”

I nod and turn off team chat so I can respond. “Got it. Give me just a second.”

BrewMeister doesn’t exactly sigh, but it’s obvious he’s been through this before. “Take your time. I’ll be handling customers. Signal when you’re ready.”

With that, he walks off.

“What are you going to inquire about first?” Stoneburner asks.

“Well, let’s break it up. What do we want to know besides where he is?”

Spyce has a quick answer for that one. “It might help to know why he’s so hated here. It can’t just be because he’s PKing.”

Rose raises her hand like a student waiting to be called on. “Maybe we can ask where he got the armor,” she asks when I look at her.

“Not bad. I’ll see what the barkeep says.”

When BrewMeister returns, I receive an invitation for private chat and accept. “Better for business,” he says by way of explanation. “Can’t have customers overhearing and getting information for free. Now. How can I help you? The first question was paid when you chose Information from the menu.”

“FyreK1ng,” I begin. “I was hoping you might know where he is.”

The man snorts out a laugh. “I wish. That is top dollar information and you bet your ass I’d be charging more than ten gold. Nah, all I can tell you is someone saw him yesterday. He was riding a mount, one with wings, going south east over the Ice Fields. Could be anywhere by now. Anything else?”

“Do you know anything about his armor? I don’t think I’ve ever seen any loot that flamed like that unless it was a sword.”

BrewMeister closes one eye and tilts his head like he’s working out a complicated math problem. “Alright,” he says after a moment. “That’s old news, I guess. 50 gold.”

I try not to wince. Even though there’s more than enough to cover that kind of expense in my account it stings some to let it go. 50 gold for old news? I hate to think what he charges for the really good stuff. Oh, well. Here’s to hoping this stuff pans out.

“Done,” I tell him.

A transaction window opens with a request for the 50 gs. As much as it pains me to part with the gold, I accept.

“Fyre came in one day saying he found a new dungeon in the Lost Coast. Yes,” he says before I can ask him to clarify. “In the Lost Coast. As in underwater. Claims his mount glitched when he was flying over and he fell into the drink. Noticed an opening on the ocean floor that turned out to be a hidden dungeon.”

I’m stunned by the admission to say the least. It’s common knowledge that King’s League has plenty of secrets left to be discovered. That being said, no one has found a new dungeon in this region for over a year. I know this because I used to live for exactly this kind of content.

“Anyway,” BrewMeister continues. “He was bragging about how there was only one thing in the cave. Some legendary piece of armor. Won’t tell anyone what they’re called, only that he could take anyone on with them. We all got a good chuckle out of it. Until two days later. He was a solid 68 before—made sure to show us proof—but he came back a 74. Jumped six levels in two days. That should have been impossible.”

“Yeah, impossible,” I murmur.

Except BrewMeister doesn’t know how wrong he is.

“A few parties went to find the dungeon. It was cleaned out, like he said. They got XP for finishing off the mobs, but there wasn’t any loot. That’s all I know about the pants. That your last question?”

“No. Just one more. What’s with the petition?”

The barkeep crosses his arms and I wonder if he’s annoyed by the question. “I’ll give you that for 25 gold.”

I readily accept the transaction request this time.

“Fyre used to be a good guy. He came in, hung out, played at the game tables, and used the board to make a little extra gold on the side. Kind of a nobody but no one had any issues with him either. The hit list is nothing but more jobs. People don’t really care when a contract is completed because it’s like a business transaction, right?”

“Sure,” I reply. “Makes sense.”

BrewMeister nods obviously pleased by my acceptance. “Let’s just say his name wasn’t always FyreK1ng. Used to be NinjahStar.”

This tells me that the newly minted FyreK1ng must not mind spending money. A name change spell costs something like 2500 gold. “Damn. Must be grinding hard to have that kind of gold to throw away.”

“I thought the same,” the barkeep agrees. “So after the name change, Fyre starts to get a little full of himself. Keeps trying to fight everyone so he can show off his new pants. Always to the death. I guess he got a taste for it because it wasn’t long after he started going after players that weren’t on the community board. Anyone he thought wronged him, looked at him funny, or that he just plain didn’t like.”

I frown as he tells the story. “It sounds like he got drunk on power.”

“That’s the way we see it. He started going after people who used to be his friends. People that didn’t deserve to be sent back to the character creation screen. To tell the truth, I don’t like people who PK. I can understand taking the contracts if you need the money but it never has sat right with me. Now the guy is just unhinged. Someone needs to stop him.” BrewMeister backs away from the bar then and I can tell he’s done.

I’m out of questions, so I guess I’m done too.

21

“Well, it all makes sense now,” Spyce comments after I fill them in on what I learned. “Dude’s a psycho.”

We’re outside the tavern and in the bright daylight once more.

“Seems like everyone who gets their hands on a piece of Graydon’s turns evil,” says Rose. “Present company excluded, of course.”

“We are quite fortunate that our fearless leader isn’t like that. And to think, he has the most pieces,” Stoneburner adds.

A similar thought had crossed my mind. Was it just bad luck that half of the pieces had fallen into the wrong hands? Neither Spyce or I were evil, that was for sure. “Technically, the good and evil ratio is at 50 percent. Deadhunter is still a wildcard but from the short interaction we’d had I don’t think he’s bad. That leaves Salvatore, Billingsly, and now FyreK1ng.”

“That’s true,” says Spyce. “What now?”

I think about that for a moment. The information from BrewMeister was interesting, and I do think worth the gold, but we weren’t any closer to finding him. Except for that part at the beginning. “Meister said someone spotted Fyre flying over the Ice Fields. There isn’t much out that way, especially if he was heading south. I have a theory that he’s heading for the Frozen Maw.”

Her eyebrow shoots up. “You want to go to the Maw?

“No,” I reply quickly. “Not until we’re absolutely sure. I was thinking that we head to the Ice Fields and see what we can find out. Might be someone there who knows about FyreK1ng.”

“Unless he killed them all,” says Rose. “The guy just sounds like a real jerk.”

I shake my head. “I guess we better hope that’s not the case.”

We’re almost out of the city now and night is starting to fall. The rest of the walk passes in silence, each of us lost in thought. Mine are focused on FyreK1ng and everything we learned from BrewMeister. I don’t think Spyce is entirely right that he’s a psycho—King’s League isn’t the real world, after all. He is, however, a shining example as to how some people couldn’t handle power.

Why couldn’t people just play the game for fun? Or at least if they’re doing it for money they should do it honorably.

Not for the first time, I find myself wishing the devs had designated more non PvP zones. I remember back when the game first came out a lot of people thought it would fail. It’s not like games where you lose almost everything with one death are all that common. The option mostly exists as ultra-hard modes on campaign games for hardcore gamers, not the average Joe.

Apparently, the naysayers didn’t count on people enjoying taking out their frustration with video game violence. Kind of like that old movie, The Purge, except in the digital world. And, the concept did take off, catapulting King’s League to unprecedented financial success. Clearly they knew what they were doing.

I guess FyreK1ng isn’t technically doing anything wrong—he’s playing the game as the creators intended. Following that logic, so are me and my friends. Despite the danger it’s kind of cool. The chance to right wrongs and stop a villain. Multiple villains, now that I think about it.

It makes me want to be better at leading Dawnshire. One thing I’ve learned from playing as Nogg is that I haven’t been present enough. Maybe after we deal with FireK1ng things will be peaceful. Mentoring Stoneburner and Rose has been a blast and I wouldn’t mind doing that with Spyce for other guild mates.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. We still haven’t even found the guy and here I am making plans like I already have the breeches. Focus, Dirk. Now isn’t the time to get complacent. Isn’t that when people make bad mistakes?

I come to a stop just before exiting Leonidas and motion for everyone to move off to the side.

Spyce lets out a throaty chuckle. “Are we getting another pep talk? I thought we were done with those after the dungeon.”

“That’s part of my point,” I say using my serious voice. “I wanted to remind you guys that this isn’t a dungeon anymore. We were grinding in relative safety and fighting the same mobs over and over. That’s way different than being out here in the real—well, in the main part of the game. Don’t take your new level for granted.

“Okay, I take it back. You have a point,” Spyce concedes. She focuses on Stoneburner and Rose. “This may not be my usual realm, but 86-Neon has plenty of similarities. The number one rule is be ready for anything, which should go without saying. Just think of your surroundings like Australia—everything wants to kill you.”

I can’t help but laugh at that even though it’s true. “Right. And we’re not familiar with the area like the players who frequent Hagz. One of the few downfalls of grinding the same place. Thankfully the Ice Fields aren’t that big. It should be easy enough to search.”

“I have faith in you, friend Dirk. Tis naught but another adventure, ripe with danger and intrigue! Under your wise leadership I have no doubt we shall prevail.”

I hope he’s right.

* * *

It’s dark when we get on the road to the Ice Fields. I’d nixed the idea of using torches to light the way at first. They would draw attention and we didn’t want that. Unfortunately, the terrain proved too dangerous to do that. After Rose nearly fell into a deep ravine that would have killed her I changed my mind.

“What strange creatures might we expect here again?” asks Stoneburner.

I start to list them off. “Ice serpents, frost shamans, and corrupted arctic wolves. Oh, and the blue giants. Jotun. I think some of the area is loosely based on Norse mythology.”

“It is,” Rose confirms. “I had to do a paper on mythology in modern times. I used the game as my example.”

I knew a little about them too, but mostly all learned from old Marvel movies. I start to crack a joke about Thor and Loki when Graydon’s sight shows me a player tag/bar.

Bone Eater. Level 66. Okay… that’s weird. Now I’m seeing an inventory list. What the hell?

Then it hits me. There’s someone here, someone with an impressive invisibility spell.

“Heads up! We’ve got company!”

“Oh yeah, you do,” says a mocking voice.

Whoever it is isn’t worried about our hearing them. That doesn’t bode well for us. I catch a glimmer next, thanks—I’m assuming—to Graydon’s Sight. Beside me, Spyce has already readied her Guided Darts. Stoneburner raises The Lion Shield in his blocking arm and Toothcutter in the other.

“Hold on,” I tell my team before switching to general chat. “What do you want? Me and my friends are just passing through.”

“Is that right?” His gravelly voice doesn’t sound the least bit friendly and a feeling of unease settles over me.

Bone Eater’s spell must have reached its time limit because there’s a telltale shimmer in the air around him, then I get a good look at him. He’s an Orc.

“Yeah,” I reply, injecting some irritation into the single word. “And we’re on a schedule. Happy adventuring.”

He lets out a snort, intensifying my bad feeling.

“Dirk, I don’t like the look of this,” murmurs Spyce.

I can still hear her but I can’t respond without Bone Eater hearing too.

“Afraid we’re going to hold you for a few then,” he finally says. “Boys?”

Oh, great.

Four more players appear, but they weren’t invisible. One pair had positioned themselves behind a large outcropping, effectively hobbling Graydon’s Sight, though they couldn’t know that.

“As I was saying,” Bone Eater continues. “Me and my crew been waiting here for hours for a bounty to roll on through. So, we’re checking everyone to make sure.”

Some of the tension eases at that. They must be looking for FyreK1ng too. Not a great scenario, but better than these players attacking us for the 1000 XP. Or, 4000, in this case.

“None of us have a bounty on our heads,” I tell him. “As you can see, my name is Dirk, not FyreK1ng. We’re looking for him too since he’s killing people for fun. No reason for us to clash over it though. We can look somewhere else.”

Bone Eater smiles in a way that makes me supremely uncomfortable. “That’s mighty generous of you, Dirk, but I have no idea who this bloke FyreK1ng is. We’re here for you.”

I go still. Here for me? But why? “I don’t have a bounty on my head. None of us do.”

“Okay, you might be right about that. But I’m what you call proactive. See, I know how much Salvatore hates your guts after you beat him.”

It’s happening, just like I thought it would. Salvatore, ruining my day again. Why can’t I be rid of that guy? Apparently killing him isn’t cutting it.

“Everyone knows that you’re going to be public enemy number one on his little list. The way I figure, once he announces your name to the world it will be impossible to reach you what with that fortress you have. Between that and everyone else gunning for you my chances will be in the single digits.

The whole time he’s been talking, I’ve been thinking and coming up with a strategy. There are five of them, all pretty high levels. We have an advantage though—both Spyce and I are level 99. That evens things out.

Bone Eater continues to drone on, clearly pleased with himself and loving the sound of his own voice, but I stop listening and switch back to party chat. “Spyce, listen. I don’t think we’re getting out of here without a fight. You can borrow these. They go in the belt. I don’t know how they work, so figure it out fast.”

I open the trade window as fast as I can and send her the three Graydon’s Stones which she immediately accepts.

“So, I’ve decided to do your people a kindness since they aren’t my problem,” Bone Eater says, finally winding down. “If you surrender, let us kill you and take your gear without a fight, we’ll spare them.”

Fat chance, I think to myself. No way am I letting Salvatore’s mini-me scare me. I decide to try for a little gruffness. “Move aside, Bone Eater. I don’t want to have to kill you.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, mate,” he says lazily. “You ain’t killing no one tonight.”

I hear Stoneburner and Rose both gasp behind me.

Bone Eater has a big smile on his face. “Oh dear. Your friends are in trouble.”

I look over my shoulder and see that two shimmering players have come up behind Rose and Stoneburner. I catch their player tags through Graydon’s Sight—Ripperr666 and SnyderCutSux. They obviously snuck up with an invisibility potion, which will go away once they attack unless they spent some big money on a Master Invisibility potion, which will keep them invisible even after they attack.

The problem is, I’m not convinced that either of them will survive an assassination attack. We’re talking triple critical damage along with a better than good chance of poison in the blade. But they didn’t go for the kill yet, so maybe there’s more at play for Bone Eater.

He doesn’t let me down. “It’s not lost on me, Dirk, that you can put at least a few of us down. So… here’s your moment of truth, mate. A lot of people can die here—and maybe you make it out. But your friends won’t. So… what’s more important? Your level 99 or your three friends here?”

I ready my bow, careful not to equip it yet. I do, however, cast Commune with Nature to protect myself with poison. That’ll give me immunity for sixty seconds. This fight will need to go by quickly and I’d better cast it now than when the steel is singing. “You’ve made a common mistake here, Bone Eater.”

“And what’s that? Because to me, you look covered.”

“No, no. Your ambush is great. Very well done. Are you familiar with logical fallacies? Because you just committed one.”

“You’re stalling. Turn yourself in or watch your friends die.”

“There you go,” I say. “You did it again. False dilemma. You’re presenting me with two options as though that’s all there is to it. But… I have several options.”

I spin, equipping my bow and taking a shot at Rose’s shimmering assassin—SnyderCutSux. The shaft strikes home and knocks him back. Rose hurries free, ready to do what she can while Spyce lunges toward Bone Eater, spinning and driving two poison daggers into his stomach where she leaves him to suffer under the poison.

Now for the painful part. Stoneburner’s assassin slices the paladin’s throat and kicks him forward. He falls limply on the ground, blood pooling.

“Rose!” I shout.

“On it,” she says, already healing.

I have no idea if Stoneburner survived the attack, but I knew he had a better chance of it than Rose did. I feel torn here. I reacted because I think this is how Stoneburner would have wanted things to go, but there wasn’t time to confirm.

Switching from my bow to my Gladius of Arcing, I go straight for Ripperr666 who is trying to flank. He’s still invisible, which means he has some seriously expensive cover. But, I have something even more valuable and it’s showing me exactly where he is thanks to the user name and stats, which follow him around like a billboard so long as I keep my focus on him.

I charge and catch him off guard, scoring a massive critical for a hundred and twenty damage. That’s a full third of what the assassin began with—all his stats are bumped into agility and strength. He’s clearly designed his character to sneak in and hit hard.

I don’t let up. It’s a thrust, lunge, dodge kind of fight. I’m keeping the pressure on my opponent and he’s doing everything he can to avoid my attacks. He’s doing a decent job of it.

As Ripperr666 backs up, still invisible, I kick him in the chest, sending him tumbling back. I move in for another strike and my screen goes red. I take 40 points of damage and I’m poisoned.

Has it already been a minute? Crap! The fight went on long enough that my immunity has worn itself out. My vision grows clouded like someone rubbed Vaseline over my eyes. But I can see well enough to drive my sword down into my opponent, pinning him to the ground. I drop his HP down to 130 and realize that he really is pinned to the ground. I’ve run him through and he can’t see to pull the blade out to free himself. He’s got to be taking bleeding damage, but, more importantly, he’s now a sitting target.

Stepping back, I hurl six quick fireballs at him and finish him off. Then I turn to look for Rose.

“I need something that can handle this poison,” I say.

“Okay,” Rose responds, “it’ll be a bit. Waiting for a cooldown after using it on Stoneburner.”

It’s then that I realize that Burner made it. Not only because Rose cured his poisoning but because I can hear his familiar voice in our chat—but he’s serious and not roleplaying.

“I could use some help here, guys. Back down below a hundred HP.”

I look for him but my vision is still blurry. Even the info boxes Graydon’s Sight provides are out of focus. I almost wonder if it’s my headset, but I know that can’t be it. It’s brand new. Has to be the poison. I drop another forty points of damage—the same as the initial knife attack. I try Lay Hands, but the poison doesn’t clear up. That means it’s a higher than what I can clear—which is only half my level. Better cast Regeneration to try and keep myself from dipping too low.

“I can barely see anything,” I tell the team. “Stoneburner, where are you?”

“You’re facing him,” Spyce calls out. “He’s got like four guys on him and he’s trying to hold them back. I can’t get to him!”

“Stoneburner!” I shout. “Duck!”

“I’m down!”

I unleash a fury of fireballs, alternating hands to send them directly ahead. “Did I get them?”

“Excellent shots, friend Dirk! They rascals have been blown clear!”

I breathe a sigh of relief. Stoneburner must be feeling confident if he’s back in character. “Splash damage get you?”

“Aye, but ‘twas less than the knave’s blades were doing. I’m coming to you Dirk, do not strike me down in your blindness.”

I can see a blurry figure approach me, but don’t attack. He goes around behind me.

“I am watching your back,” Stoneburner says. “Pray, Rose, and heal. I have consumed my last potion.”

“She’s busy!” Spyce yells.

I look in vain to see what’s going on but it’s all a blur. “Stoneburner, can you see what’s happening?”

“The fiends attempted to encircle fair Rose once they got up from your magical assault. Spyce moves to save her—she has broken free!”

“Well that’s good.”

Forty more points of poison damage smack me. Then I’m hit by something else for another twenty.

“Something hit me,” I tell Stoneburner.

“Archer!” Stoneburner moves in front. “I’ll provide thee with cover.”

“No, stay back where you were. I can absorb the damage… for now. How’s Rose?”

“She’s in bad shape,” says Spyce, grunting from the effort of her fighting. “And I’m trying to do my best to keep it from getting worse. So if you can stop with needing the play-by-play.”

I’m sorry but I don’t say it. She’s right. I can’t distract our one good fighter.

“Rose,” Stoneburner says. “You must heal yourself!”

But then my vision clears and the poison’s effects are gone. I can see Rose on her hands and knees, arm stretched out to me. She must’ve just cured me. By her side is Spyce, who’s moving like a jackal and biting at the five remaining foes. They’re no higher than level 65, but the numbers plus the threat of taking down our healer are balancing the odds.

I equip my Vampiric Sword. Time to tip the scales in our favor. With a roar I charge beside Spyce forming a two-man wall between the assassins and Rose. Having both of us in the fight overpowers the small band of lower level warriors and while I’m doing damage, Spyce seems almost otherworldly.

She’s moving at speeds that rival Swift Feet, though no one cast it. Her knives have an eerie red glow that definitely wasn’t there in the past and every thirty seconds or so a green shimmer flows over her body and she regains 50 HP. This has to be the stones in action—they’ve stacked her considerable abilities even higher. I’m not sure she needed me in this fight beyond staving off anyone going for Rose.

But, I’m here, and my attacks end the encounter that much quicker. I lop off the head of a player named Rusty316 and then switch to my bow as another named OldManHOgan attempts to flee the fight, his HP down in the twenties. An Arrow of the Hammer knocks him down and sets him back to level one.

“That all of them?” I ask.

“Did you get both of the invisible guys?” Spyce asks.

“I got the one—Ripper—SnyderCutSux was the other.” I look around. “I don’t see him.”

“Well I didn’t kill him,” Spyce says.

I scan, but all is quiet and Graydon’s Sight picks up no trace of another invisible player.

Stoneburner moves to rejoin the group. He’s limping and just barely at a hundred health. “He lives to play another day. But, more importantly, to give warning to others of his foul trade—Dirk of Dawnshire is no easy mark.” He uses his ability as a Paladin to heal himself.

“Thanks,” I say, “But Spyce did the heavy lifting.” I look down to Rose and cast Regeneration on her. She only has 25 HP left. “Rose, you need to heal yourself.”

Rose struggles to her feet so much that Stoneburner and I have to lift her off the ground. “I was poisoned. Not an HP attack, it’s keeping my mana from replenishing. I’m at zero and potions aren’t doing anything to fill it back up.”

Spyce looks alarmed. “That’s some seriously expensive poison.”

“You’ve used it before?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “It costs more than most bounties, so, no.”

“Well, I’d like to be cured of it all the same,” Rose says.

“I’ve got something,” says Spyce and then she gives Rose a Master Cure Poison potion. Quite the expensive gift.

Rose drinks it down and sighs in relief. “Oh, thank goodness. Mana is ticking back up again.”

“So, if your mana was gone,” I say, “then who cured me? Because I was pretty much useless until those poison effects went away.”

“That was me!” Rose shouts and then laughs. “I said my mana wasn’t regenerating. But I had enough to cast one final spell. So… I cured you.”

“That might have cost you your life,” says Spyce. “You should have healed yourself.”

I nod. “You came really close to hitting level one. So did you, Burner. I’m sorry for leaving you to the assassin.”

“Friend Dirk, my success in King’s League is thanks to your friendship. You led me this high and I trust you to do what is best for the party. Here I stand. Alive. You chose well.”

“Same here,” Rose says. “And I know I could have died, but I did what needed to be done to save the party. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

For whatever reason, I feel overwhelmed. This encounter was a bit of a mess, but seeing the team step up and stay unified like this, even when lots of us were facing death—well, it means a lot.

“Thanks guys,” I say. “I mean it. Let’s get back to Dawnshire and recoup.”

22

“That was way too close for comfort.” We’re back in Dawnshire and I can barely get the words out because I’m out of breath. Funny how the game gets you worked up even though it’s not using all of your body like you would in a full haptic and chamber set up.

We’re standing outside the temple and all a little worse for wear. It’s a far cry from when we’d finished our last run of The Ruins of the King. Everyone had been high on our success and—maybe speaking for myself—feeling untouchable.

That has been proven unequivocally false. The fight had more than sobered me on that count and I am pretty ticked off about it. It comes down to Salvatore—again. Even though he didn’t send Bone Eater after me it’s still his fault.

“I truly thought it was over for me,” admits Stoneburner. His voice sounds strained and he’s partially breaking character, so I know the fight shook him up some. “As you said, that wasn’t like dealing with the mobs in the dungeon.”

“Sorry, bud,” I tell him. “I had a feeling that Salvatore would name me but I never expected someone to attack us before he even announced it.”

Spyce starts to pace back and forth looking grim. “Bone Eater wasn’t a super genius but that was a clever plan. If it weren’t for the fact that we have four Graydon’s pieces between us, then I’m not sure we would have made it out of there. Whoever comes next is bound to be better. We need to be prepared.”

She isn’t wrong, but I don’t know how to prepare any better than we already have. Part of this is on me. The last thing I expected was to be ambushed by bounty hunters gunning for me. Maybe I should have. Plenty of large groups roam the entirety of King’s League and we’re only a group of four. I had been too cocky thinking two level 99s and Graydon’s armor made us invulnerable.

“Let’s go inside,” I say, gesturing to the temple.

“Friend Dirk,” Stoneburner says, raising a finger. “You forget. Fair Rose cannot enter without a piece of the armor.”

“I can fix that.” I summon the genie. “Smaug, make it so Rose can freely enter and exit the temple.”

“That will require her being granted the role of Steward of Dawnshire.”

“Do it then,” I say, almost without thinking.

“It is done!” rumbles the genie.

“Dirk…” Rose begins.

“I trust you, Rose. You’ve had ample opportunity to try something underhanded for your own benefit—like steal a piece of the armor.”

We step inside and recollect ourselves near the statue of Graydon.

Spyce studies the stone set of armor Graydon wears. “Boots have changed. Deadhunter’s travelling. Looks like he’s in 86-Neon again.”

I nod and give a half-interested “hmm.” My thoughts are really focused on how we can avoid a repeat of what we all just went through.

“I’m not going to lie, Dirk. That was scary,” says Rose. I can tell she’s feeling some pressure after the fight. “Don’t worry, I’m still going to stay in the party, but it was an eye opener for sure. I think I need to do some research and work on healing strategies.”

“Can’t say that’s a bad idea,” I agree. “But don’t feel bad. You saved our asses more than once tonight. Stoneburner and I can do more healing than we currently do. We just need to adjust strategy. What we really need is another person. I’d ask Wu-Tanis but we’d have to spend more time grinding and time is the one thing we don’t have right now.”

“I’m not Wu-Tanis, but I’m somehow over level 70. Think I can join your little party?”

We all turn to face the newcomer but I’m already grinning.

“Brian! It is good to see you, man. What are you doing here?”

“And here I thought you were tracking my every move when it came to school,” he jokes. “Finals are over, Dirk. I passed! That means I’ve got some free time on my hands. From the looks of you guys, I’m going to be working hard on my vacation.”

“Nogg, too long has it been since we last met. you bring a smile to my face on this unfortunate day.”

“Ha ha! Good to see you too, Stone.”

I introduce him to Spyce and Rose.

I take Nogg in through Graydon’s Sight. He’s a powerful character, no doubt about it.

Name: Nogg

Level: 74

Class: Wizard

Specialty: N/A

Health: 321

Mana: 1164*

Str: 40*

Sta: 100

Agi: 54

Dex: 55

Int: 100*

Cha: 80

Maybe it’s a little narcissistic, but I’m proud of my handywork. This is the highest level Brian has ever had with a character. If he’s careful, he should be able to hit level 99 before school starts up again. My excitement is short lived as the reality of our situation settles in.

“How are you even here?” I ask. “I’ve still got your rig at my place.”

“I have a computer, doofus.” Brian laughs and then looks around the temple. “Dawnshire looks great. You guys on the other hand…”

“Yeah, things kind of fell apart after you left,” I say wryly.

Brian grimaces. “Did I hear you say Salvatore is back?”

“Kind of. Still hiding out in Golden but he’s stirred up some trouble here in Vanilla,” I explain. “There’s a lot more to it, but maybe we can meet up and I’ll tell you then. These guys already know everything.”

Spyce, who stopped pacing when Brian came in, gives a nod of approval. “That’s a good idea. I think we could all use a break to regroup. I’ve been putting off some real-life responsibilities. What about you two?” She looks over to where Stoneburner and Rose are.

“Yes, my wife would appreciate me taking care of the honey-do list,” Stoneburner agrees.

“I have been putting some things off too and…” Rose hesitates like she just caught herself and I wonder if she feels uncomfortable talking about her real life. “I thought we didn’t have much time?”

“We have less time to level someone up from single digits,” I say. “But Spyce has a good point. We’ve been going nonstop lately. It’s not going to matter if we take time to get some rest and take care of personal business. Later tonight I’ll see what else I can find out about FyreK1ng. Maybe we should have done that first.”

“Not much we can do about it now except learn from it,” Spyce replies. “When do you want to meet back up here?”

I think for a second. It’s late afternoon already so tonight would be too soon. “Tomorrow at noon. Recharge, guys. I’ll see you then. Brian, you up for meeting at my place?”

“Yeah man, I’m on my way.”

One by one my friends log out and I watch their avatars disappear. When it’s just me left in the temple I cast a long look at Graydon’s statue. “I sure hope all of this is worth it.”

* * *

“Man, I leave for a few weeks and look what happens.” Brian adjusts his workout bag over one shoulder and shoves his other hand in a pocket as we walk down the sidewalk in the direction toward my favorite decrepit gym.

I should probably tell him that his membership is cancelled and that I’m banned from the premises, but I still haven’t heard from Hannah and I’d like to. At least we’re getting a walk in. “Tell me about it. Maybe working out will help out on both a physical and mental level.”

Almost every time we’ve met up over the past few months it’s been to eat and my lack of discipline is showing in how tight my clothes are. I miss working out with Brian and having someone spot me. Not to mention I’ve been neglecting myself at home by eating nothing but junk for the last little while.

A lot of live streamers start out looking pretty fit, but I’ve noticed they don’t always stay that way. After a while the sedentary lifestyle sets in and pretty soon, they don’t fit in their gaming chairs. My stomach has started to stick out some and I’m eager to work some of my bad decisions off.

Except it looks like I’m not going to get that chance. At least not today. We both stop short when we see the sign on the door.

“What the H-E-double-hockey-sticks? Since when are they closed at this time of day?” demands Brian.

“Beats me.” I step closer and peer into the darkened window. It looks like all of the old equipment is there, but it’s all been arranged neatly into one section. Most of the floorplan is open and the newly empty space just looks wrong. A For Sale sign is leaning against the counter and I can’t help but think of it as ominous. I groan. “Brian. They’re closed permanently.”

“But don’t they know I need to workout?”

I scowl at the door and almost give it a kick. “Hannah told me this might happen.”

“Who’s Hannah? Oh! Your girlfriend.”

“Yeah, right. Still no text.”

“Don’t text her.”

“I’m not. It would be weird at this point. Anyway, McNasty’s Dad bought this place and the building next door. Guess he decided to sell when the businesses didn’t look like they were going to pay out? I dunno.”

“First, call the guy Carter, Dirk. Saying McNasty all the time makes you sound like a fourth grader. Second… wanna get some food?”

I look around. I really wanted to get a workout in me. I guess burritos will do. “I guess so. How about Mexican?”

It’s only a few blocks to Casa del Domingo. We walk there. When we’re both sitting in a booth, I pick up the menu and start flipping through it even though I’ll probably get the same thing I always do—the stuffed carne asada burrito. “Know of any other gyms?”

Brian shakes his head. “Not that we both can use. I have the school. Maybe I can ask coach if he’ll—”

“Forget it. Don’t open up that can of worms,” I tell him.

“He asks about you sometimes, you know. Wants to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“Tell him I’m fine, aside from getting ghosted by a the hottest girl who’s ever laughed at my jokes and losing my favorite gym.”

“Oh, boo-hoo, Dirk.”

The waitress drops off a basket of chips and bowl of salsa, then takes orders.

“You know,” Brian begins once she’s gone. “Plenty of apartments offer fitness centers. Good apartments. With working elevators.”

I chuckle lightly at the idea of Mrs. Mendoza and her husband putting in a fitness center. “The lack of an elevator is a workout, Brian. Without those stairs, I’d have a big ol’ jelly roll around my middle..”

“Tell me about it. My point is, Dawnshire is doing well. I saw the Inertia when you put it in the box. If you can afford that, why not aim a little higher?”

“Hmm,” is all I say for now. I reach for a chip to buy myself some time to think on that.

Moving out hadn’t really occurred to me before now. Sure, my current living situation wasn’t what one would call fancy or even middle class. But it was familiar. And cheap. If I were to get killed or lose the income I’ve been getting from the game my funds will dry up. It’s safer to stay someplace I can maintain.

A little voice in the back of my head tells me that a nicer place would be more secure. Maybe I wouldn’t have to lock my gear in a wooden box bolted to the floor when I wasn’t playing. The free swag has been piling up, too.

“It’s not a terrible idea,” I concede.

Brian claps his hands together and grins. “That’s what I’m talking about. We can start looking now.”

I hold up a hand when he starts to pull his phone out. “Hold on a second. I have no idea what my budget is right now, plus we have other things to worry about. Namely what to do about this player killing punk that’s running around with a piece of Graydon’s set.”

“Oh, right.” My friend leans back heavily and scratches his head. “That is a problem. And from what I heard in the temple, he’s not your only problem. Why don’t you go ahead and fill me in? I put some of it together but I’m sure there’s more.”

I proceed to fill him in on everything that’s happened. It’s a lot and takes most of the meal but I don’t want to leave anything out. Brian listens intently and only interrupts a few times to ask the occasional question.

“Bone Eater and the rest of his crew are dead. Doubtful he’d have the gold to put a contract on me, but stranger things have happened. Like Spyce said, he didn’t plan things out very well, or at least he didn’t expect me to have an entourage.”

“But he did find you,” Brian points out.

I frown at that. “True, but I think I know how. The barkeep, BrewMeister. He sells information. How hard would it be to pay for information up front. For all I knew he tipped them off the moment we set foot in the Drunken Donkey.”

Brian lets out a sigh. “That’s the problem with fame. Everyone wants a piece of it even if they have to take you down to get it.”

“Pretty much. And now I need to find a better way to track down FyreK1ng. He only has the breeches. If I can somehow corner him in Dawnshire and challenge him to a duel, he can’t refuse. Not to sound cocky, but I think I can take him.”

“Then let’s start data mining the forums,” Brian says with a look of steely resolve. “Someone has to know something.”

“Yeah. I figure one of us can comb through the forums and the other can watch streams that mention anything that connects.”

“That’ll work. We can grab snacks on the way since this is probably going to run late.” He shoots me a grin. “No energy drinks though. Plenty of that in your apartment. Actually, we should probably do a quick stream to keep your sponsors happy. I did my homework, now you have to do yours.”

“Haha. Very funny. Let’s go.”

Instead of signaling to our waitress, I pay the check using a kiosk that’s off to one side of the table. I usually ignore them. Not tonight. Tonight is for tracking a killer. Well, a player killer, but they’re almost the same in my book.

FyreK1ng is going to get dethroned.

* * *

Two hours later I throw my hands up in disgust and shove back from my computer. Brian and I had swung by his place to grab his laptop before we came back to my apartment. We had been, for the better part of an hour now, digging through the depths of the internet to find information on FyreK1ng.

Except there isn't any.

Brian looks up from his laptop and sends me a sympathetic look. “Still no luck?”

“Nope. Not unless you count all the people complaining because he’s killed them or someone they know for no reason. How about you, find anything in the footage?”

“Sort of. I know you saw a couple of the videos, but I found a few more.” He stands up and does a quick stretch before joining me in the kitchen where I’ve been working. All the boxes create an obstacle course and it’s a near miss when he comes around the last stack to set his computer down.

I’m thankful for the distraction. Maybe something will help boost my brain to find something new. I scrub a hand over dry eyes and blink a few times. Too many long days of grinding has worn me down some.

“Check this out.” Brian angles the screen so I have a good view, then hits play.

It starts in the middle of chaos. Right off the bat this video is different from the rest that I’ve seen. For starters, two players are duking it out on an icy hillside. FyreK1ng’s flaming pants are clearly visible and he hasn’t finished murdering his current victim.

Okay, maybe murder is a little dramatic, but after all I’ve learned about FyreK1ng it’s doubtful he has a legit reason for the duel. I remind myself that’s not what’s important right now. It’s a known fact the guy is a grade-A A-hole. That’s why we’re looking for anything that might help track him down.

The skirmish doesn’t last long. I don’t need Graydon’s Sight to tell me that FyreK1ng’s opponent is seriously outmatched in both level and gear. Still, part of me wishes I could use the helmet to see exactly what we’re dealing with. It’s hard to tell from the fight alone.

I realize I’ve become dependent on Graydon’s Sight. I feel naked not being able to tell anything about the other player. It was different in the dungeon because I could still see percentages at least.

FyreK1ng’s victim throws a fireball but it doesn’t seem to have any effect. Strafing right, he pulls a dagger of some kind and holds it out in a defensive move. I can’t see it well enough to be sure, but it looks like an ice blade of some kind.

When FyreK1ng advances, the other player lunges forward, slashing the knife before he’s even in range. One of the swipes is lucky because a small cloud of red spurts from FyreK1ng’s avatar.

It’s not enough. The player killer laughs and casts a paralyzing spell. It leaves the Balrog1991 completely motionless. “Gotcha, Balrog. Next time you see me, make sure to greet me properly. Your Highness. Actually, I guess it doesn’t matter. It’ll be a long time before you set foot here again. Good luck leveling up.”

Balrog is on his knees because he is bleeding out and immobilized. FyreK1ng sheaths his sword, picks up a rock, ignites it, and then throws it at Balrog and kills him.

His Royal Assness loots the body then walks off as if going for a stroll.

Whatever I thought of the player killer before, my opinion of him has gone down even more. The guy is ruthless and we’re going to have our work cut out for us.

“Jeez, talk about a lunatic,” I mutter.

“No joke,” replies Brian. “But did you notice the people watching?”

I start the video over, this time focusing on the bystanders. It doesn’t take me long to notice a familiar hooded figure with the unique cloak. I point at him and say, “I’ve seen him before. He was in the first video I saw.”

Brian shakes his head. “Not just those two. This is the fourth clip I’ve seen him in. Could be a coincidence.”

“Fourth? No way. Whoever that person is, they’re watching for a reason.”

“Maybe they’re working together?” Brian suggests.

“Could be. Does he ever leave with FyreK1ng?”

“Nope. Or at least not that I could see. Mr. Mysterious sticks to the background.”

We both fall into silence. This development has my spidey senses tingling and I don’t like it one bit. Things are coming to a head. We’re close to FyreK1ng, at least I think we are. The question is, what will we find?

23

The first thing I do after waking up is check the forums for any news on FyreK1ng. Sure enough, another player kill has been recorded and uploaded. My favorite PKer is also back in Hagz and his latest kill is pretty much a carbon copy of the other videos, even down to the mysterious cloaked figure. Something niggles at the back of my brain telling me the person is important. Maybe he is, but he’s not as important as my current target.

I do learn something, though. At least, I think I do. There’s a particular moment in the video when the unfortunate player hurls a series of Fireballs using a spell called Firestorm. I’ve seen it at work online; it does double the amount of damage as your standard Fireball, clocking in at an impressive one hundred damage. That means this player is no slouch.

The Firestorm spell should have done something to FyreK1ng but the guy’s avatar doesn’t even stumble. His Graydon’s set piece is still spewing fire and the only difference I see is that they seem to glow a little brighter.

Huh. Weird.

I already guessed that the pants must have some kind of fire resistance, but now I wonder if there’s something more. Does the extra glow mean he’s getting a boost or something? Hard to say. In any case, it’s something for me to keep in mind and pass along to the others. The last thing we want to do in a fight is give him more of an advantage.

The time stamp on the video catches my eye. Recorded just after one in the morning. I’m surprised to see that the upload time is only about fifteen minutes after the real time event. This can be good and bad. On one hand, FyreK1ng is now drawing a lot of attention to himself which makes catching him alone a daunting task. On the other hand, however, we now seem to have a halfway decent shot at tracking the PKer down.

Alright, Dirk. Time to think smarter. How to use this to our advantage?

When the answer hits me I smile to myself. It’s so simple. All I need to do is set up an alert for a series of keywords. Anytime the search gets a hit, I’ll get a notification. If the uploader is fast enough, they might just lead us to FyreK1ng. Satisfied with this plan, I take care of my morning routine.

Another shipment of swag is sitting outside the door, this time two large boxes of energy bars. Game Fuel, the logo reads. It’s actually a good thing because I’m out of food. They aren’t heavy and I bring them inside. Then I proceed to just stand there and survey my overcrowded apartment.

I shake my head at the lack of available surface area. It’s my own fault though—it’s a studio and just about every glorious square foot—all 450 of them—is occupied. I’ve been using the boxes as makeshift furniture but that’s not working out so well.

Before, I’d hardly had anything and the space, while never spacious, was plenty big enough. Now it just feels claustrophobic. Once FyreK1ng is dealt with I plan on making Dawnshire my main priority. That means actual work. I sweep a gaze over what passes for a living room and try to imagine a desk. I’d eventually like to get a complete gaming rig with one of those 360° chairs.

Yeah, that’s totally not happening here.

Brian’s right about me finding a new place. I want to be within walking distance to the gym… Or not. Its for sale sign comes to mind. I know that Bob had an apartment somewhere on the premises on a higher level. It’s doubtful McNasty’s dad will let me rent it out with the building on the market.

A little voice in my head says maybe I could buy it. Yeah right. What would I do with it? I don’t have a business, unless you count running Dawnshire and ownership of the Cygnus building. My phone’s alarm chimes, letting me know it’s almost time to meet up with the others.

It’s a little before noon when I log back into the game. The inside of Graydon’s Temple loads around me, comforting in its familiarity. After Brian left the night before I’d laid in bed for too long, tossing and turning. No more dreams, though, so that’s something.

I’m anxious about what’s to come. All this time we’ve spent preparing and not gotten so much as a glimpse of FyreK1ng. Pinning my hopes on a random notification that might never come seems a little silly all of a sudden.

My thoughts are interrupted by the Inertia headset picking up a disturbance in the room. It’s an animation, the one indicating a player is logging on. Once the bright glow fades away I can see that it’s Spyce.

The bounty hunter shoots me a smile and a quick wave as she closes the short distance between us. Most of the previous night’s tension seems to have faded away for her and I’m glad we took the break. Maybe I’m imagining it, but I think I’m growing on her. She’s gone from trying to kill me to suspicious of me, then tolerating me, and now seemingly happy to see me.

“Looks who’s early,” she says.

“Bright eyed and bushy tailed,” I reply.

This makes her shake her head. “You and Stoneburner with the ancient sayings. I don’t even know what that means. Bushy tailed? Just weird.”

I can tell she’s teasing so I don’t take the weird crack personally. It’s on my tongue to say something about her not being on our level when another animation interrupts me. It’s Rose this time.

“Hey guys!” Her voice is cheerful and, like Spyce’s, doesn’t hold any of the uncertainty or doubt that I’d heard the night before.

I lift a hand in greeting. “Hi, Rose. Did you get some rest and take care of what you needed?”

Her character offers me a bright smile. “Sure did. Didn’t take long at all. Spent the rest of my night watching videos on healing tactics and how I can help you guys out more.”

It’s great news that she’s taking this so seriously.

“Can’t wait to see it in action,” I tell her. “We need every possible advantage to come out of this without getting reset to level one.”

“Speaking of advantages, we should talk about Graydon’s Stones,” Spyce cuts in. “I logged back in last night for a few to get a better handle on them. Everything happened so fast with Bone Eater and his goons that I didn’t really get a chance to study them.”

I want to know more but it occurs to me our party is short by two. “Hold that thought. Nogg and Stoneburner should hear all this. Let me see what they’re up to.”

When I check the guild list they’re both marked as active so I send out a group message. The response from Nogg is almost instantaneous.

On our way.

They must be close because the temple door opens and they walk in together less than a minute later. It’s clear at a glance what they’ve been up to. Nogg’s armor has gotten a makeover. Not new armor, but a new paint job so to speak.

He’s basically wearing all black except for a yellow oval on his chest and the hood of his cowl looks decidedly pointy. It’s obvious what look he’s going for.

I’ve never really messed with my gear that way because it costs money, something I used to really struggle with. Not only that, but I was always on the lookout for better gear. No sense spending gold on items I’d swap out at the next available opportunity.

“I dig the new look,” I tell him.

He grins back. “Me too. Always wanted to do this. Stone helped me out. I am the batman.” He says that last part in a deep, gravelly voice.

“An easy task, especially for a friend,” says the blacksmith, speaking up for the first time.

Spyce lets out a sharp cough and waits until we’re all looking at her. “As much as I love sitting around discussing armor fashion, we have a player killer to track down.”

I lift my shoulder feeling a bit sheepish. “Right. What were you saying about the Stones?”

“As you know, three stones, two slots. The amber one is the Stone of Resolve and has a thirty percent physical and magical damage reduction.” She points to the red one taking up the second slot of her belt. “The Stone of Power gives me +5 to 20 damage per attack, melee or ranged. Last is the blue one. Stone of Wisdom. It increases intelligence by 30 percent. I can use any combination but only once per day. Kind of like some of the dungeons, they reset at midnight PST.”

“It’d be nice if they let you use all three at once,” Rose remarks.

It is a weird restriction. Or maybe not. I glance over my shoulder at the statue, taking in all the different pieces. “Graydon’s armor set already gives major advantages. Too much and someone could be completely unstoppable.”

Nogg lets out a snort. “Any single piece gives players an extreme advantage. No normal player is going to compete so what’s the point in holding back?”

“Don’t forget Graydon is the Trickster,” Stoneburner reminds us. “Isn’t it just his nature to make things unpredictable?”

“I guess,” I say with a shrug. “Doesn’t really matter right now. Spyce, go with what you think is best. We’re headed back to the Winter Fields. This time we’ll have daylight on our side. There’s supposed to be a small camp near the coast for people to restock or sell things. A few shops, that sort of thing. It’s probably our best bet.”

A teleportation scroll appears in Spyce’s hand. “Well, what are we waiting for?”

* * *

I teleport to a spot just outside the Winter Fields to make sure the area is clear. If there is an ambush or random mobs, I stand a better chance of getting away.

It might have been easier to land at the encampment but that seemed like a bad call. Given the amount of people after FyreK1ng the situation at the camp might be too volatile for a safe teleport. For all I know, there’s an angry mob—the kind with villagers and pitchforks, except they’re players with weapons—waiting to take out anyone who dares fast travel there.

The immediate vicinity is empty of threats. I’m technically still in Hagz. This is evident by the lush grass under my feet. Looking East, the terrain is dramatically different. The vibrant green is interrupted by scattered snow that starts out as small clumps before being covered completely.

A flash of movement catches my eyes and I go still. It only takes a second to relax once more—I don’t think the snow bunny is going to attack.

A mob off in the distance meanders around a primitive camp. Frost Giants. They’re no joke and I don’t plan on tussling with them today.

“We’re good,” I inform the group over the guild cant.

The air shimmers around me as my friends begin to arrive.

Rose is there first and turns in a slow circle to take in our new environment. “Pretty,” she says. “Didn’t get a chance to see much last night.”

“Fair maiden, do not be fooled,” Stoneburner warns. “There are many dangers in this area.”

I point at the Frost Giants. “He’s right. See that over there? That’s a group of Lesser Frost Giants. That means there’s at least one Greater Frost Giant and they’re pretty mean.”

The healer frowns at the far-off mob. “They don’t look so big from here.”

“Let’s hope we can keep that distance,” Spyce adds. “Their clubs can do a lot of damage. They aren’t the only thing out here either.”

“Nope,” I say, ready to launch into a list.

Rose beats me to it. “Polar Wolves, Corrupted Shamans, and supposedly Cursed Ice Dragons—though that’s just a rumor.”

“Impressive,” Nogg says, the surprise in his voice more than a little obvious.

“I looked it up,” Rose admits. “I wanted to know what kind of attacks we might encounter so I could have the right resist potions and spells ready. From what I saw, the mobs can range from low seventies to high eighties in this area.”

I give her a nod. “That’s really smart, Rose. Thanks. Now; it’s go time. I have the encampment marked on the map. It should show up for everyone.” There’s a round of acknowledgement, so I continue. “Let’s try to take the shortest route. If anyone sees a mob, alert the rest of us so we can try and get out of the way. I don’t want to waste any time and energy on anything that isn’t FyreK1ng.”

When no one disagrees, I take my first steps toward the Winter Fields.

It doesn’t take long before the snow engulfs our feet. A look over my shoulder tells me that we’re leaving an easy trail for anyone to follow. I’m not a huge fan of that because now we need to watch our backs for any players that might try to attack from behind us.

The bright sunlight casts long shadows on the glistening snow. I realize that while being here at night had some disadvantages, there was one thing it offered that daylight didn’t—cover.

“Everyone stop!” Spyce calls out over the guild cant. “Mob up ahead.”

I leave my position at the rear of our party and join her where she’s taken cover at the base of a large tree. It’s at the top of a ridge and provides a decent view of the other side. A decent view of an entire pack of Polar Wolves, that is.

“What level are they?” asks Spyce in a hushed tone. She must have forgotten that the wolves can’t hear us from up here.

“Seventy-four,” I reply. “Except for the pack leader. That one is seventy-six.”

“I remember those,” says Rose. She sounds excited. “Their attacks, like most of the mobs in this region, are centered around ice or cold.”

Stoneburner turns to look at the healer. “That is sound information, fair Rose. Good on you for being so focused on your studies.”

“Uh, thanks. Anyway, the wolves here do all the usual lunging and biting, but they also have the ability to consume damage and turn it into strength if you use any kind of cold attack.”

Nogg lets out a low whistle. “Wow, that’s pretty cool. I mean, not for us, but as an ability.”

“It is,” I agree. “See the ice coating on their neck and backs? Those can reflect projectiles, so don’t waste any arrows. I noticed that on a video.”

Spyce looks to her left and points. “We could just go that route and come down a little further away. That way we can avoid them altogether. No sense getting into a skirmish if we can avoid it.”

“That is quite the clever plan, Lady Spyce,” says Stoneburner.

“I’m good with that,” I say. “It shouldn’t add more than a few minutes to our time.”

Spyce leads the way again, leaving the wolves behind us. I still check periodically over my shoulder, but no one and nothing appears to be following us.

The snow is up to my knees now. Wind whistles through the headset’s speakers and for a second it almost feels real. It makes me think of what it would be like to experience this in real life. Images of hikers climbing Mount Everest come to mind. I’ve only seen things like that online but thanks to my upgraded specs I can almost envision it.

Except, of course, for the elements. No biting cold to worry about here, and no danger beyond the imaginary kind.

My mind is firmly on the mission but there’s no ignoring the beauty of King’s League. If I remember right, the devs used a lot of real-world locations as inspiration for the backdrop. The places with snow in particular came from Norway.

It strikes me that for many players, views like this one will be the only chance they have to experience travel. That was the case for me too, at least until I started making money from Dawnshire and the sponsorships.

“How about here?”

Spyce’s suggestion interrupts that line of thought just in time to stop me from running into Stoneburner. A quick check behind me shows that the wolves are nothing more than tiny dots in the distance and there’s no way they’ll notice us.

“Might as well,” I say. “We’re at the top of the summit. Doesn’t look like we’ll have to climb down either.”

I say this because of the snow that covers the entire mountainside. If we had to descend down and navigate steep drops it could be dangerous. This way looks to be smooth and pretty easy.

“Once we get to the bottom we can hook to the right,” adds Nogg. “Then it’s a straight shot to the encampment.”

“Watch your step,” warns Rose as I move forward. “I read that it can hide dangers like—”

Her warning comes too late. The ground shifts and my avatar loses his balance. My friends are in a similar state, their arms windmilling as they fight for balance. Once the vibration settles, I turn my attention back to Rose.

“What kind of dangers? Is some giant ice centipede about to come out of ground or something?”

She shakes her head. “Not that I saw. I think we just started an avalanche.”

Another rumble seems to confirm her theory.

“Get back!” I call out.

The ground shifts again and the five of us are swept off our feet and taking headers down the mountain.

24

Le sigh.

An avalanche was the last thing I expected to deal with today. A sociopath PKer? Sure. Unavoidable ice mobs trying to send me back to level one? No big deal. But one hundred million tons of snow (I saw that in a nature program once when I was a kid) dragging us down a steep decline at two hundred miles an hour was a bit extreme, even by King’s League standards.

And, of course, because why not, we weren’t really prepared. I knew weather in parts of the game could be deadly. Tornadoes in Blade’s Edge, extreme sand storms in the Yellow Sea, and random lightning storms in Starfall were all common knowledge because none of the areas went above level fifty and therefore more heavily trafficked.

That isn’t to say that the information isn’t out there—clearly, because Rose seems to know about it—but it requires a little more digging.

All of these thoughts flip through my mind as my avatar tumbles head over heels down the slope. I notice with some dismay that I’m taking damage when I hit land. It’s only ten points at a time, and I have Graydon’s set to keep me from dipping too low, but that’s going to add up fast for the others.

Stoneburner’s voice rings out but I can’t tell where he is. “Ye Gods! I can cast heal on myself but I can't seem to target any of you as I can't see you. I'm terribly sorry.”

I cast Regeneration but gaining the few HP per second isn’t going to be enough to keep up with the constant battering that I’m taking. “Brian or Rose, got anything you can help us out with?” I ask, trying to focus on a stationary icon on my screen instead of the spinning graphics.

Brian yells in a dramatic voice, “Aaaaas yoooooou wiiiiiiiiiiiish.”

“Inconceivable!” I shout back. “But seriously, we all could use some help here.

I’m down by one hundred health when the health meter stops going down. No, wait. It’s now going down in increments of two and a half. What the heck? A small prompt on the ticker explains.

You have been hit with Light as a Feather. Effect: Reduces fall damage by 75%.

It must have been Rose coming to the rescue with one of her new spells.

Now that the threat of dying has passed the only downside to my current situation is the fact that my avatar is still somersaulting at a high rate of speed. The effect is dizzying and I have to squeeze my eyes shut to combat the disorientation. I guess it’s a good thing I’ve never climbed Mount Everest. If this happened for real I’d be in some trouble.

I’m clued in that we’ve reached the bottom when my haptic gloves stop vibrating. Opening my eyes, it takes a second for the bright glare to clear so I can take in my surroundings. At first there’s just snow as far as I can see.

“Everyone okay?” I call out.

Spyce is the first to answer. “Over here, Dirk.”

Rustling to my right catches my attention and I turn to see Spyce climbing out of some foliage. They look strange, sort of pointy at the top with thick branches.

“Stop playing in the bushes, Spyce,” I tease. “We don’t have time for all that.”

She snorts. “Bushes? Try trees.”

“Yeah, the snow is over a dozen feet deep, I think,” says Nogg from behind me.

Stoneburner is with him and neither looks the worse for wear. That’s a relief for me until I realize that we’re still down one person. “Where’s Rose?”

“Coming,” she responds. “Sorry! I cast a bubble spell on myself and it acted like a sled. I ended up way further down.”

“As long as you’re still with us, fair Rose,” intones Stoneburner. Apparently almost being buried under tons of snow wasn’t enough to knock him out of character. “And if I may say so, the new spell was impressive.”

“Thanks!” she says brightly as her avatar comes into view. “It’s similar to Feather Fall but has a little more oomph and lasts longer. I’m just glad it worked. Someone mentioned in the forum I was studying last night. It reduces damage from falls by 75 percent and allows you to walk on water. I guess that goes for snow too—we aren’t leaving any prints.”

I look down and study the area she’s indicating. Sure enough, there aren’t any prints even though all five of us have been tromping around since the avalanche stopped.

Spyce runs in little circles, laughing. It’s nice to see her cutting loose a little. “Now that is cool. Just call me Legolas.”

Rose straightens as if something just crossed her mind. “There’s a group of mobs down near the bottom. Corrupted Shamans, I think.”

“How many?” asks Spyce, going into warrior mode.

“A small group, maybe three.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” comments Nogg. “I bet we can take them. What do you think, Dirk?”

“No way, man. We’re playing in the big leagues now, and for higher stakes. Gotta be smart about it.”

“Yes, our fearless leader is correct,” Stoneburner puts in. I think I detect a note of sheepishness in his tone. “That way of thinking has been less than fruitful in the past.”

“Exactly. Let’s see if we can go around them. If it seems like it’s faster to take them on, we’ll do that.”

I turn and start making my way down the slope. The avalanche has turned the entire visible landscape a pure white, with the minor exception of a few treetops poking up in a few places. As the valley opens up, the height of the snow declines to the point where a few landmarks are showing again but the area is more or less pristine.

One advantage is that there’s definitely no way for a mob to surprise us here—just nowhere to hide. It’s vastly different than being in a forest where some random spider can drop from above or a pack of wolves might stalk you through the underbrush. Then again, the same goes for us, at least when it comes to other players. I’m not as worried about NPCs because you have to get close enough to trigger a response from them. Real players, on the other hand, would spot us from almost any distance as long as they had a line of sight.

If it wasn’t for the fact that we’re tracking down a psychotic player killer, I might have enjoyed the outing much more. As much time as I’ve spent adventuring since becoming level ninety-nine, there’s plenty I haven’t seen. This part of Hagz and the Frozen Maw are mostly new to me. Eventually I want to uncover the entire map. The game gives out random high-level rewards to players who successfully complete that personal side quest.

Later, I remind myself. Because once FyreK1ng is out of the picture and I have his pants, things should be easy peasy. Dead Hunter seems like an honorable player, so I don’t see him coming after me unprovoked. Even if Salvatore does eventually put me on his pathetic hitlist, I’ll have the majority of Graydon’s set and no one will be able to defeat me unless I’m stupid.

The Corrupted Shamans that Rose told us about come into view and I come to a stop. Like she’d said, I only count three.

“I’m going to get a little closer so I can see what we’re dealing with,” I tell the others. “Stay close and don’t make any noise.”

“That’s another good thing about the spell,” Rose whispers. “It reduces noise from walking. But it’s only good for six more minutes.”

“Got it.”

I stop talking and creep forward using Sneak. Even though Light as a Feather should keep the noise to a minimum, I want to play things cautious.

It doesn’t take long to reach the outer edge of the mob. There are three of them sitting in a tight circle around a small campfire. The flames aren’t orange though; they’re bright green. Not uncommon for NPCs that work with what the game considers dark magic.

I know more about the lore behind different NPCs than I do regarding their skill sets. For example, the Corrupted Shamans are part of a cult. Sounds weird, but only at first. They aren’t drinking Kool-Aid or anything.

Basically, the story goes that a power hungry wizard named Agorax traveled to the Winter Fields in search of a long lost magic source. He found it too. Unfortunately, it was at the same time as another adventuring wizard. His greed got the better of him and Agorax murdered the other wizard.

Supposedly, the slain wizard’s blood mingled with the power source and changed it. At first Agorax got a major magical boost and counted himself lucky. What he didn’t know was that the blood he’d shed in order to get that power acted like a contamination. It twisted the power into something dark. When Agorax tapped into that power source it corrupted him.

The guy went crazy and started luring others to the power source with promises of greatness, enhanced abilities, and riches. That sounded all great and fine. He just neglected to tell them about the curse. It bound anyone who used the corrupted magic to the surrounding area.

That’s why you won’t find the Corrupted Shamans anywhere else in the game. A cool bit of lore that makes things more interesting. I’ve heard that Agorax is somewhere in this part of Hagz, but no one has found him yet.

The three NPCs before me are decked out in black fur cloaks and frost-blue leather armor. The boots they’re wearing have miniature spikes of ice protruding from the toes and heels. What skin I can see is so pale it’s almost translucent and their exposed hair is completely frosted over.

Graydon’s Sight kicks in before they notice us and I stop to examine the information.

Corrupted Shaman Lvl 73. 390/390 Health. The inventory for the NPC I’m currently giving the eye shows some cool items too.

- Dark Staff of Summoning x 1
- Corrupted Ice Shard x 2
- Frostbite Dagger x 1

Not a bad assortment, which I guess is to be expected from the higher level areas. The Staff probably comes with a cool spell or two and I’m pretty familiar with that type of dagger. What interests me are the Corrupted Ice Shards. A few merchants and guild members have been requesting these because they’re used to make legendary items. They’re also versatile because a blacksmith can use them to upgrade weaponry, a potion master might use them to craft a nasty poison, or a clothier can infuse extra protection into wearable items.

Of course, Stoneburner gets first dibs on anything we get here, but if he passes on them, I’m happy to add more to the guild chest. You know what they say, happy guild, happy Overseer of Dawnshire.

The NPC’s buddies are similarly outfitted, and I don’t see any additional mobs in the area. It looks like we’re in the clear. Still, I don’t want to go in blind. Without Rose, I’d have to rely on what I know about their attacks. Which isn’t much. As it happens, we do have Rose.

I turn to the healer and flash her a smile. “Didn’t happen to study up on the Shamans, here did you?”

She grins back. “I did, actually. Let’s see… They use the staffs to shoot ice balls. If any of them is an archer, they have Greater Arrows of Frost that can do some decent damage. Mostly because the ice effect lasts for 15 seconds and drags your health down at two points per second. If you use any attack with a cold attribute, it’s damage goes down by half.”

“Wow,” says Nogg. “I know you told us you did your homework but that’s seriously impressive. I feel like I’m slacking over here.”

I don’t say it out loud, but I feel the same way. Not that I’ve been slacking, exactly, but my mind has admittedly been focused on other things. All important, but I do feel bad. Still, this is one of the reasons to join a party. Support. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Added to that, we all learn from each other. The key to success is balance, which I think we’ve achieved.

The available information tells me that our group can easily take the three Shamans. Just to cover my bases, I pull up the map once more and chart the route to our destination. The unexpected avalanche has taken us off course. We’re in a valley, but unless we cut to the East and climb another cliffside, the fastest way is through the NPCs.

“They’re on a direct route to the encampment,” I announce upon retreating a little way back. “We could go around but we’d have to Sneak. Probably faster just to take them out.”

“I can be the tank again, if that pleases everyone,” offers Stoneburner.

“Sure,” I agree. “In fact, why don’t you do that, Nogg can be your wingman since he could use the practice. Rose can do her usual thing with the healing while Spyce and I act as back up.”

Spyce draws two daggers and gives her shoulders a little preparation shake. “That’s a good plan. How do we want to do this?”

I point at Nogg. “I’ll shadow Nogg, you can watch Stoneburner’s back. Keep an eye on the third shaman though. They’re going to go after one of our pairs so be ready.”

Nogg casts Shield on himself and I cast Regeneration on Rose.

For my part, I go with the familiar. My weapon of choice is the Ancient Bow of Casting. I figure since we’re working with Shamans it’s better to use something that will deal magical damage. I wouldn’t have minded using something with a fire bonus to counteract their cold attacks, but this bow is the next best thing. I really wish I could let loose with fireballs, but I’ve got a team to work with.

I’ve been carrying the Ancient Bow of Casting for some time. Thanks to Graydon’s set and my (nearly) maxed out level I haven’t had to worry about upgrading my gear at every given chance. I chide myself for the oversight and make a mental note to check out the River Market or have Stoneburner make some better weaponry.

“Whenever you’re ready,” I say to Stoneburner.

“Thank you, friend Dirk.”

He offers a quick bow before readying Toothcutter and the Lion Shield. There’s a pregnant pause as the Paladin gathers himself, then he lets out a bellow that I’m certain might cause another snowslide.

We surge forward and trigger contact with the NPCs within a few long strides. The second they react to our presence, Stoneburner Taunts them to gain aggro. It works perfectly. All three Corrupted Shamans direct their attention to him.

Without being told, Stoneburner circles around. It’s a smart move because the Shamans follow him, and in doing so, bare their backs to me and Nogg. The Shaman nearest to Stoneburner and Spyce suddenly blitz forward, leaving a wake of blue ice shards behind it.

“Nogg,” I say quickly. “Try to draw the others to you so Stone isn’t getting ganged up on.”

Instead of using a war cry or taunt, Nogg opts for a direct hit. This is still an effective, if different, way to gain aggro. He chooses a fire spell, which is smart for additional damage against these ice mobs but his incantation has one drawback: The range is touch. He sneaks forwards as his fists ignite with the Hands of Flame spell. It’s pretty recognizable as I used it myself a number of times while grinding his character.

“Burn, baby, burn!” he bellows.

The spell does its job as Nogg places his hands square on the back of the closest Shaman, who spins to face the threat head on. Unfortunately, the spell does nothing to the other NPC. It doesn’t matter though. Nogg is already casting his next spell.

If it were me I would wait to see how my first attack went before slamming my opponent with another high-power spell. That’s just me though. Everyone plays the game with their own strategy. It’s also no secret that Nogg prefers the hack and slash method. I have to cut him some slack because he hasn’t had a chance to practice with his newly leveled character.

Nogg targets his opponent and lets loose. The resulting glow doesn’t show as much out in the open with all the snow around, but there’s no mistaking it, especially when the Shaman starts stumbling around and covering his face. Solar Flare.

“Good one,” I remark. “The heat damage will take down some of their cold bonus.”

“What can I say,” he crows. “I’m the man!”

Oh, boy. I’ve forgotten how much Brian likes to celebrate wins, no matter how big or small.

Rose calls out a warning that cuts him short. “Watch out! His staff is glowing! That means he’s about to start a spell!”

I’m not too worried. Blinded NPCs don’t generally have the best aim, so I’m expecting a few easily dodged ice balls. All Nogg has to do is dodge the attack and let Solar Flare run its course so he can regain some mana.

Except my friend doesn’t do that.

Instead, he goes for Fireball. I try not to groan. Not only has Brian used the last Fire skill in his arsenal, he’s also plowed through a good chunk of mana, leaving him dependent on physical weapons. I scan his inventory and see that all of his weapons besides an ivory dagger have cold attributes. And like an annoying infomercial, just wait, folks! There’s more.

At the last second, Nogg trips over the campfire and his Fireball spell goes wide, blowing past the Shaman to do a whopping zero damage. Great.

To my surprise, the Shaman doesn’t send a flurry of ice balls our way. Instead, he juts his staff into the air and casts what I think is a summoning spell since it doesn’t do any damage.

A shriek splits the air above us and sure enough I look up to see a Minor Spirit Dragon. Seems like my services will be needed after all. Good thing I decided to go with my bow. Trying to shoot ranged spells at smaller flying objects can be a bit of a challenge.

“I’ll deal with the dragon,” I tell Nogg. “You take out the Shaman.”

The ivory dagger appears in his hand. That’s good enough for me. I turn my attention to the dragon. It’s a little smaller than the harpies we dealt with in the Ruins of the King and I can see its health is 250—pretty tough for a miniature NPC pet.

I bring my bow up and ready a shot. The minor dragon uses a frost fire attack at the same time that I let go. I roll in time and only take a glancing blow. Twenty-five health vanish from my bar. The dragon isn’t so lucky.

It takes the full brunt of my arrow and loses sixty-nine health. The dragon is more like a sub-NPC. That just means it doesn’t behave the same way and has less autonomy. Think of summoned animals like in-game pets; they have limited function. This dragon can shoot flames and do some basic bob and weave movements, but that’s about it.

I time my next shot so that it hits just as the dragon opens its mouth and interrupts its attack. The move works. Not only do I deal the full damage, I buy myself a few extra seconds to hit it again.

By now, I’m feeling pretty confident. One more well placed arrow will bring the beast down for good. My aim has improved a lot over the last few months and I think I can hit it again if I stay in the same spot. It opens its mouth as I nock another arrow. I pull the string back as a stream of blue flame erupts from the dragon. My arrow hits the mark, but so does the frost fire.

Fifty of my health vanish in an instant but the dragon falls to the ground, defeated. I scan my surroundings, looking for Nogg in case he needs more help, but his NPC is on the ground and smoldering.

Stoneburner and Spyce are finishing up with the last Shaman, which will clear the area.

Nogg lets out a whoop. “Guild Ebonforge does it again! Can’t stop us!”

His avatar starts a victory boogie and earns him a giggle from Rose. I smile too. It may have been a little sloppy, but we all made it through.

“All right,” I say, cutting through the laughter. “No more detours. We’re not far from the encampment. If we run and avoid any more fights, we should be there in less than ten minutes. Let’s go find us a FireDouche.”

25

I’m relieved when we make it to the encampment without further troubles.

It’s not that I think we can’t handle the mobs out here. My concern is running into FyreK1ng while not at full strength. The player killer has already made it clear how ruthless he can be. If my battles with Salvatore and Billingsly taught me anything, it’s not to underestimate my opponents.

The encampment, which I now realize is called Hagz Reach is inside a fort. No, not like in a treehouse or like the forts that my dad and I used to build out of the boxes he would sometimes bring home from work. Man, I loved those forts and castles we used to build together. They always seemed so big to me at the time. I bet I could build a pretty epic one out of all the boxes of stuff I'm getting from my sponsors. Anyways, this fort is one of those medieval deals built out of logs with a palisade all the way around.

A sentry of two NPC guards stands outside giving us the beady eye as we approach. Their suspicion is palpable and for a moment I wonder if they could be developers in disguise. I’ve often wondered if that ever happens as a way for devs to act as spies. Some of the streamers claim that they've caught devs doing this, but nothing has ever been proven.

I’d say this situation would qualify. FyreK1ng is out of control and disrupting the game’s balance. Well, more than usual. Then again, Salvatore staged his embargo and no one came swooping in to help. They didn’t even get involved when his Dark Riders were taking out whole towns.

I guess I’m still a little bitter about that.

Point is, if the devs do come in game they don’t announce themselves. Either way, I don’t have plans to provoke the guard. I enter the fort and find that the camp is nearly deserted. A few ragged merchants tents are set up, but they look abandoned. Is this all because of FyreK1ng?

“This isn’t what I expected,” murmurs Spyce.

“Yeah,” says Nogg, craning his neck to look around. “Place almost looks abandoned.”

“Not completely.” Stoneburner points to a merchant stand tucked into one corner, a smith, like him.

We all follow his gaze to the lone player manning the blacksmith shop. At first, because of his fine feature and slim frame, I think he’s Elvish, but his ears aren’t pointy and he’s too tall. Human, then.

The man watches us approach with narrow, suspicious eyes not unlike the guards we passed on the way in.

“If you’re bounty hunters I can’t sell to you,” he says in a gruff voice.

I raise an eyebrow. “Can’t, or won’t?”

“Can’t,” he repeats. “Can’t sell you anything to go after the King of these parts.”

I’m fairly certain he means FyreK1ng, but before I can ask him, Spyce steps forward with her hand on the hilt of her weapon.

The merchant immediately stands up straight and reaches for his own gear. His name is Bartholomew.

“Wait!” I say, putting out a hand to halt Spyce’s movement. “We're not here to fight. Sorry. Yes, me and my friends are looking for FyreK1ng. However, not because we're hunting a bounty.”

Okay, I know, I know. It's not an outright lie. More of an omission. Besides, there's something in the blacksmith's demeanor that makes me think he doesn't want to turn us away. Call it intuition.

He doesn't quite relax but he doesn't attack either. I'll take that as a win. His stats show him as a level 80. Not bad. That makes him a higher level than everyone here except for Spyce and me. I seriously doubt he could take all of us if it came to that. Point is, I don’t want to kill another player unless I have no choice.

“Name's Bartholomew. Or Bart,” he answers in a vaguely British tone. It sounds a little imperious, as if he's only putting on an accent. “If you aren't here to collect a bounty, why are you here?”

It's a valid question, and one I need to answer wisely. “I—we—don't care about money. The game devs aren't going to do anything because he's not technically breaking any rules. But what he's doing is wrong. You know it, too. His murderous streak sure seems to be costing you business.”

I glance pointedly around.

Bart does the same thing. “I can't claim that you're wrong, I guess. I'm the only merchant left here. It's a honey spot, too. Used to cater to the higher ups that ended up this way. We're a lot less busy than River Market. Gave us a chance to build relationships with the regular customers, you know?”

“Sure,” I say with a knowing nod. “Now people are afraid to come here I take it?”

The blacksmith grimaces. “More or less. The other merchants packed up shop because Fyre just went out of control.”

I ask the obvious question. “So why are you still here?”

“No choice. Fyre threatened to put a bounty on me if I left or helped out a player trying to collect a bounty on him.”

Wow, what a jerk. I can't believe how far this player killer has gone. At this point I wish I was a dev, it would be easier to just go in and delete his account or something. Since that's not a viable option, I go with turning our new acquaintance against him.

“Like I said, we're not here for money. FyreK1ng is a menace and we're going to take him down.”

Bart turns a suspicious eye on each of us before letting out a derisive scoff. “He'll eat you alive and dance on your corpses.”

The man paints such a lovely image.

I shrug, feigning nonchalance. “Maybe, maybe not. If that's true, FyreK1ng will get five new victims. If not, he's done terrorizing people.”

“You're serious,” says Bart. He crosses his thin arms across his apron covered chest. “I don't know how I can help you if it's not weapons you're looking for.”

“Dude,” Brian breaks into the conversation and points at me, “Do you realize who Dirk is? He took out Salvatore. And Billingsley over an 86-glow world.” Brian takes a step toward the shop owner. “Fire Pants is the one who should be worried.”

I see the shop owner reach toward his weapon again and hold out an arm. “Easy. We just want information. Where to find him, if you catch my drift. We'll do the rest.”

When Bart lets out a weary sigh, I know we've got him. “You just missed him. I stayed on hoping to do some transactions in the online trading system since I can't leave.”

“Why can't you leave?” I ask, curious. “Seems like that would be the easiest way to get out of his crosshairs.”

“Because he told me if I did, he'd find me and make me pay. Torch my new stand and kill me. If killing me failed, he'd hunt me down until I got tired of running, and in the meantime everyone would know not to do business with me or else they'd get the same treatment. So now I get to stay here and sell him my services at a reduced rate. A tax, he says. For protection.”

Man. I feel for Bart. FyreK1ng shouldn't be allowed to get away with this. Realism in the game is one thing, but the player killer is just outright harassing another player and bullying them to the point their ability to rely on the game's economic system is hindered. I plan on killing the jerk either way, but I really wish the developers would step in and show everyone that some behavior isn't acceptable.

“Do you know what time he'll be back?” asks Spyce, finally speaking up.

Bart gives her a look that suggests maybe she shouldn't have. “Sure. But if I tell you, he'll know it was me. I got bills to pay, lady.”

I take up the conversational reins once more. “He won't,” I assure the blacksmith. “FyreK1ng knows people are actively trying to find him. We've been running into bounty hunter parties since we first got to Hagz.”

At first Bart doesn't answer. His avatar goes still and I can't tell if the player went AFK or is just thinking. “Alight,” he finally says. “Fyre has a little bunker in the Frozen Maw. There isn't a ferry to get across, so you'll need some kind of spell. He has a mount capable of flight. It's nasty in a fight too, so if you do catch them, deal with the alicorn fast.”

“Anything else?”

“He won't be logged in for much longer. If you don't catch him in the next 30 minutes before he tucks his character away, he won't be back until tomorrow. Usually just after five, EST.”

“Day job?”

“Yes. I know because I'm supposed to be available when he's here.”

There's no mistaking the hostility in his tone. No one can blame the poor guy either. FyreK1ng is probably costing him considerable income and it sounds like this is how Bart pays his bills.

“Thanks for the advice,” I say. “That's all we needed. Hopefully this is taken care of soon.”

Bart regards me with something that might be passing amusement. “You look like you can take care of yourselves but don't underestimate him. He's got some legendary armor. I know because he bragged about it to me. But if a miracle happens and you do beat him, come see me. I've got some inventory that you might like and I'll give you a discount.”

“Appreciate that. Take care, Bart.”

He gives us a parting nod, then goes back to work.

I lead the others back past the sentry and out of the fort before speaking. “Well, that was interesting. I had a feeling he'd be using the Maw as a hideout, but that's pretty ballsy.”

Stoneburner frowns. “That place is rumored to be cursed. Not many who visit leave unscathed. We are to believe he lives there?”

“Why not?” says Spyce. “If he found a cave somewhere it wouldn't be too hard. Could be he even has a guard of some kind.”

I pull up a map and place two markers. One at the end of Hagz territory where it meets the water and the second at the Frozen Maw. “At least now we have a direction.”

* * *

We set off for the Frozen Maw on autorun. My plan is to keep taking the shortest route possible and possibly intercept our target. I chuckle inwardly at my own phrasing. Intercept our target. It sounds like something right out of a spy thriller.

It is a mission, I suppose. And a dangerous one. We all know what's at stake and how fast things can turn bad. This is probably why everyone is so quiet.

As we run, the bright, snowy landscape gives way to a setting of gloom and doom. Thick heavy clouds pregnant with something that promises to be cold and wet loom threateningly above. They make everything around us look muted and almost dangerous.

Now all we need is ominous lightning.

“It's going to be hard to find him like this,” Nogg comments. “And he's flying. For all we know he's back home already and logged off.”

“That’s okay isn't it?” asks Rose. “We can just come back tomorrow, like Bart said.”

“Yeah, so don't get discouraged if we don't get him today,” I tell them. “I want this to be over too, but one more night to prepare won't be the end of the world.”

“Shrewd thinking, as always,” says Stoneburner. “I, for one, am most eager to rid the realm of this scum.”

His words are harsh, which is peculiar for the usually peaceful Paladin. I can understand why, though. He too makes his living from the game. Daniel also has a powerful sense of right and wrong. What FyreK1ng is doing to Bart and others in the game is no doubt pissing my friend off.

“You'll get your chance,” I promise. “We just--” My computer lets out a chime alerting me that I've received a notification. “Hold on a sec, I think one of my searches just picked something up. Be right back.”

I pull off my headset and open the notification on my desktop. Sure enough, it's a ping from one of the forums I was using to track Fyre's movements. I open it quickly and find a video of FyreK1ng.

A live video.

And he's not far. I recognize the surroundings. Not enough for a precise location, but I think I can figure it out.

“Guys, check this out. Nogg, do you mind standing watch?”

“Nah, that's cool,” he replies.

I send the link out in a message. “FyreK1ng is fighting someone right now.”

“Holy crap!” Spyce sounds breathless with excitement. “He's gotta be close.”

“Look for something we can use as a landmark,” I suggest. “This area isn't all that big compared to most places on the map. We should be able to narrow things down.”

“I'm working on it,” Rose says. “There's water in the background. Maybe a lake that's on the wiki.”

She's right. Fyre is currently whipping ice magic at his opponent at a rundown cottage. The commotion had distracted me and I'd mistaken the glimpse of water as nothing more than ice. While Rose ferrets out where we might be, I study the ongoing fight.

There aren't any onlookers this time. I look for the hooded figure who is almost always present and don't see him either.

I wonder if that means anything or if I've been overthinking it.

BountyHuntress, the player who's tangling with FyreK1ng and responsible for the livestream, is holding her own.

Unlike most of the other videos I've seen, she seems to know how to handle the player killer. Instead of trying to attack with fire based skills and weapons, BountyHuntress is using cold. After what I saw in the other stream, this is smart.

She dodges expertly, going into a roll that takes her closer to her target. It's a pro strategy, that's for sure. It forces FyreK1ng to go on the defensive when she comes up slicing with her short sword.

It makes contact with his legs and immediately elicits a reaction from the flaming pants. Instead of glowing, they dim a little, as if someone threw water on a fire. Her opponent stutter steps back a few paces before regaining his balance.

“Give it up already, Huntress,” he snarls. “You can't beat me. No one can.”

To her credit, the player doesn't respond. Another smart move. FyreK1ng is egotistical enough to take her silence as an insult. It pisses him off enough that he drops his guard and charges her.

I don't get to see what happens next because Rose lets out a triumphant yell. “Got him! Putting it on the map.”

The location looks to be another few minutes away, just over a ridge to the east. “Let's go. Maybe we can get there before BountyHuntress gets killed.”

I had no doubt that the player could have killed FyreK1ng in a fair fight, but she had no idea she was dealing with a piece of Graydon’s armor.

Well, that was just fine. We were about to level the field.

26

Unfortunately, we arrive too late for BountyHuntress.

FyreK1ng is still looting her corpse when we arrive. The signs of player versus player battle are everywhere. Deep furrows score the ground and piles of blackened snow are still smoking.

I realize that we didn’t come up with a plan. Now that we’re here, I’m not sure what to do. Straight up attack? Try to talk to him?

Way to go, Dirk.

It’s at this moment that FyreK1ng takes notice of our advance and whirls to greet us with sword in hand. His wild eyes take in our group and I can almost see the gears turning. There’s a flicker of unease that I attribute to him realizing there are five of us. Then it’s gone, replaced with a confident smugness that I can’t wait to wipe from his face.

“Come to kill me, eh?” He points at the ground where BountyHuntress’ avatar is starting to fade. “Not like you’re the first.”

While he rambles about being the best player in Vanilla, I take a look at his piece of the Graydon set.

Graydon’s Fury, Pants

Unique

Durability: Infinite

Flames of Vengeance: When Active, 100% Resistance to Fire, +50% Fire Damage

Out of the Fire: 25% chance of full health regen on successful evasion

Binding

Well, that explains how he was dealing with the fire attacks I saw in the videos online. I expected to see a weakness to ice as a balance, but it’s not listed. Still, this is Graydon we’re talking about. So the trickster side of that god could easily just make you susceptible without telling you ahead of time.

“Doesn’t seem very sporting of you all to gang up on me,” FyreK1ng continues.

“Right, like you’ve been such a nice player,” Spyce says indignantly.

I draw my Gladius of Arcing and step forward. “I’m going to give you one chance. One chance to stop being a royal douche. No more killing other players who haven’t wronged you. That, and you give up Graydon’s Fury.”

The smirk disappears when he hears me mention his Graydon’s piece. Good, that’s what I was going for. I want him unsettled before we fight him.

“Why would I do that?”

“Because if you don’t,” I say, lacing my voice with as much calm as I can. “We’ll kill you and take the pants anyway. Then you start from level one and get nothing to show for it.”

If the game could show a person’s face going white I think that’s what we’d be seeing right now.

“Like I said, it hardly seems fair.” Fyre seems to look past us with a pensive expression. “How about levelling the field?”

Before any of us can react he casts a flurry of fireballs. He doesn’t aim very well though because they all soar harmlessly overhead. Unless… I turn to look over my shoulder and realize the fireballs weren’t meant for us. They hit the tiny hut with enough force that it sounds like an explosion goes off.

A loud wailing sound comes from inside, followed by loud crashing.

“Guys, watch out behind you!” yells Rose.

A massive Frost Giant rises from the tiny hut. How did it even fit in there? And how did Firepants know it was there? I’d like to think it was dumb luck and that the PK just dished up aggro on himself as the giant begins to lumber in our direction. With any luck, it will take some swipes at FyreK1ng and make our lives a little easier.

I look back just in time to see FyreK1ng hurling more magic at us. We’re forced to dive out of the way or be crispified. The wily PKer uses the distraction to take off running. Son of a bitch. The guy is good, I’ll give him that.

Everything in me is shouting that I should go after him and prevent him from escaping. I take two steps in his direction when a winged creature, black as onyx, swoops down from the heavens. At first I think it’s something like a Pegasus, but it isn't. It’s an alicorn—a winged unicorn.

FyreK1ng sends me a mock salute and jumps on his mount’s back. Then they’re off and escaping into the gloomy clouds above.

Guess we’ll take on the Frost Giant without help.

“Okay everyone,” I tell the team. “This will be as easy as we want it to be. Brian, cast Swift Feet. We can outmaneuver this thing up close.”

“Why not just run?” Rose asks.

“Can’t outrun a giant,” I say. “Their stride is too big. But we can outmaneuver them.”

“Okay, Swift Feet powers… activate!” Brian shouts and casts the spell over us, doubling our running speed for the next three hours.

“Great,” I say. “Straightforward from here. Stone, draw aggro but don’t let that ice club hit you. Frost damage plus a huge piece of base damage from its strength. Brian, you and I are going to light it up with fireballs. They’ll do double damage because of its weakness—eventually it will add up.”

“Can do,” Brian says. “What kind of HP we looking at.”

The giant is just getting close enough in sight for me to see. “Looks like… eight thousand.”

I hear Rose mutter, “Sheesh.”

“I know it sounds like a lot, but each Fireball we send will do a hundred damage and Nogg and I can send a lot in quick succession.”

Spyce twirls her daggers. “So you just need us to keep the giant diverted long enough for you to send eighty fireballs. I think we can do that.”

“Good,” I say as the giant lumbers forward, swinging its club like a scythe, ready to pulverize us tiny humans. “Anything you can do on your end, do it. Almost in range.”

Stoneburner steps forward and clashes sword and shield together. “Come, giant! Come and find death; one so puny for your race! The runt of your mother’s litter, no doubt!”

I know the words he roleplays don’t actually make a difference in the effectiveness of the taunt, but they sure feel like they do. The frost giant roars, revealing gnarled and ground yellow teeth that stand out against its deep blue, blistered lips and lighter blue skin. It’s covered in a loincloth made of what looks like polar bear fur. It has long black hair and a hoar-frost covered black beard. At its hip is a massive leather pouch. Leather sandals, cracked and black, are wrapped around its feet.

Oh, the feet. Blisters and bunions and thick, wavy yellow toenails with deep chips and gouged from where it stubbed its toe on a mountain, I guess. I’m exaggerating a bit. It’s not as tall as a mountain. Only about twenty feet high, really. But as it looms and the earth shakes, it feels that big.

As the giant lumbers toward a backpedaling Stoneburner, I throw my arm down like I just dropped the flag at a drag race. “Brian, now!”

We begin to double-fist fireball spells, launching them in rapid succession at the giant. My aim is on point and I hit the thing with five before it turns its head in a rage and makes for us. Brian’s aim is a little more rusty and he’s not as adept at shooting these off. He lands two out of three. Seven impacts for 700 damage.

Just 7,300 to go.

“Run!” I tell Brian and then I take off.

“On your heels, you coward!” Brian shouts, taking off after me.

We dodge and move, waiting for Stoneburner to regain aggro. Something like a boulder crashes ahead of me. I turn to see the giant stooping for more large rocks to throw at us in its rage. Rather not get hit with that.

Spyce and Stoneburner hack at the thing’s calf’s, causing it to swing its club wildly over their heads. They begin to retreat once they have the aggro and Brian and I launch a new volley of fireballs at the monster’s back.

Brian laughs. “Getting bored, Rose?”

“Any day I don’t have to heal you guys is a good day in my book,” she says. “Keep it up.”

We manage to do a thousand damage before the giant refocuses on us. Nogg and I both down mana potions to keep ourselves ready for the next round. This fight won’t be a problem as long as we keep using this tactic. Two things dawn on me. The first is how much easier this battle is with the team. If I were doing this alone, I’m confident I’d win, but I wouldn’t be depleting the thing’s health this fast. Not by a longshot.

FyreK1ng on the other hand… yeah. He’d probably Flame On or whatever and really cook this thing. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but our team will really get an advantage once we have those magical yoga pants of Graydon.

We keep our pattern up until the giant is down to its last thousand health. So far, not a shred of damage done to the team except to Stoneburner, who was a little bit too close to one of our fireballs and took some minor splash damage. Rose was quick to heal his owie, though.

“Last push,” I tell Brian. “Let’s finish this thing off!”

We begin to send what I hope will be our final volley of fireballs at the Frost Giant. Brian is enjoying himself, dancing while he sends the flaming balls to the enemy.

“Three-sixty-no-scope!” he shouts and then spins in a full circle, and then sends another ball under his leg.

“Stay focused, buddy,” I tell him. “400 HP left.”

“You’re in trouble big man,” Brian tells the giant, egged on by Rose and Spyce laughing at his antics. “I’m coming for you. I am darkness. I am the night.”

He starts to move toward the giant, shooting up fireballs as he goes. My stomach twists a bit—he’s too close. The giant takes a massive stride and brings his club down right on top of Nogg’s head a second before I hit it with the final, fatal fireball.

Brian drops to the ground like he’s been killed. I’d think he was if I didn’t see that it only did 300 points of damage, leaving him with 36 HP.

“I’m not dead,” Brian announces. “I know I look dead, but I’m not. Just knocked unconscious. 36 health left. Did we get it?”

“Yeah, we got it,” I say, moving to his character.

“You should be more careful,” scolds Rose, who begins the healing process.

“That could have killed you,” Spyce adds. “Keep your head in the fight, Nogg.”

“Yeah. You guys are right. My bad.”

I move in close to look at the crater in the ground Brian made when the Giant clocked him over the top of the head. When I see the state of Nogg’s mask I wince. “Dang man. That Frost Giant really did a number on you.”

Wizard armor isn’t designed to take the heavy punishment expected of a Warrior.

“No kidding. Mask is ruined. Maybe I should head to the River Market and pick something up so I’m not vulnerable.”

I look off in the direction FyreK1ng escaped. “No,” I decide. “We’re too close. Listen, I have another helmet in my inventory.”

Nogg accepts as soon as the trade window opens. To my surprise, the item doesn’t move.

“It’s no good. Incompatible,” he explains.

Damn. Not what I want to hear right now. I check my inventory again, but I already know there isn’t another helmet. “Anyone else?” I ask hopefully.

“Sorry,” says Stoneburner. “I put everything up for sale before I left so I’d have plenty of open inventory slots.”

Both Spyce and Rose shake their heads. That means there’s only one option left, and I’m not exactly thrilled about it.

I open another trade window, This time it’s Graydon’s Sight in the item list.

There’s a pause when Nogg realizes what I’m doing. “Are you sure, Dirk? I dunno if this is a good idea.”

“Yeah,” I assure him. “It won’t break down like the mask you were wearing. I can use the one in my inventory. It’s not half bad. Plus, I have the rest of Graydon’s pieces to cover my ass if things go sideways.”

“Okay…” After a beat of hesitation, Nogg accepts Graydon’s Sight and the trade window closes.

“If we are in a battle, try to call out the opponent's health from time to time.”

“Okay,” Brian replies a bit nervously.

“Just don’t get killed,” I joke.

“Don’t jinx me,” he mutters back.

I laugh to make him feel better. It’s a different story on the inside. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little worried. I guess I just have to put a little faith in my group of friends and take out FyreK1ng before he causes any more grief.

Easier said than done.

“We need to go after him,” I tell the group. He’s got a head start but we know where he’s going. Maybe we can catch him before the jerk logs off.”

* * *

We reach the beach that signals the end of the Kingdom of the Dead’s territory. Only several feet of icy water stand between us and the Frozen Maw.

“How are we going to get across?” asks Stoneburner. “The water here is too cold for swimming, right?”

He is right. Not all of the water in King’s League behaves the same way, but here it can kill you.

“I’ve got a spell called Spring Legs,” Rose says. “It will increase your jump distance and leaping skill by 100%. Think that’s enough to jump it?”

“Yeah,” Nogg says. “It should get us across no problem.”

“Hopefully the coward is still there,” says Spyce. “I want to throttle him.”

Nogg points at his head. “Join the club. I just got this upgrade and he almost killed me. Well, technically the giant almost killed me. But Hot Pants is the one who pissed the giant off, ergo…”

I ignore the conversation and sail onto the water as soon as the spell is cast. Yes, one jump and we soon find ourselves on the opposite side. It’s different from your average beach though. The sand is black. What foliage exists is lifeless and consists of twisted branches that add another layer of menace to the air.

“Let me and Stoneburner go first,” Nogg suggests. “We’ll deal with any mobs like we did last time.”

“Okay,” I agree. “Just be careful.”

Nogg winks at me. “Will do, Dad.”

“Very funny,” I mutter. “Hey, you learned that Ice Brand spell, right?”

“Just like you said,” yeah. “Want me to cast it?”

The spell gives the wielder a magical weapon called an Ice Brand. Think of it like a disposable enchanted blade that does ice damage. Spellcasters can use it for themselves or cast it on other PCs to use. It lasts until its durability is gone or thirty minutes, whichever comes first.

Nogg casts it on me and I’ve got a nice little weapon that will do a base of 20-40 damage, modified further by my maxed out strength. It’s all considered ice damage, though, which is where I’m hoping I get an advantage going up against our fiery friend. The casting time is quick, the mana is low, and I plan on having Nogg just keep it on me so we’re not caught off guard.

We begin moving across the sand, with Nogg and Stoneburner in the lead. They take a few steps and are engulfed with a sudden torrent of flames from above as FyreK1ing swoops down on his alicorn. He hops off the creature as it hovers above the ground and begins fighting hand-to-hand with Stoneburner, while Nogg attempts to cast spells against the alicorn.

This is backwards. The alicorn is resistant to magic—I think about calling for them to switch opponents, but it’s clear that they’ve already got their hands full and couldn’t switch off if they wanted to.

“This is it!” I call, jumping the distance to quicker join the battle on the sands. Feeling like a Viking who’s just jumped out of his Drakkar long boat and is set to plunder what lies on the shore. “Spyce, go after the alicorn. I’ll take Fyre-Fest.”

“Yup,” she says.

Seeing me coming, FyreK1ng kicks Stoneburner aside. He’s low on HP, but not dead by a good stretch. Still, if we weren’t backing him up, I’m not sure how long he’d last after the initial surprise attack. We were expecting to have to venture through the Maw and fight mobs before finding the guy holed up inside what I can only assume is an insidious layer.

Instead our prize is waiting to meet us. That’s fine. Just means we have more time to enjoy ourselves at Dawnshire when this is all over.

“This ends!” I yell to Fire.

He smiles. “You have no idea.”

He flames on and launches a massive wall of fire toward me, but I’m expecting it. I dodge and only take thirty points of damage thanks to being ready plus the resistances I have from my Graydon pieces. My momentum from the low slide across my knees carries me toward my foe. I spring up and close the ground, Ice Brand in one hand and a little surprise in the other.

I swing the brand down with one hand and FyreK1ing blocks it. In my off hand, I plunge my Cursed Dagger of Ice into his ribs and leave it there. Say goodbye to your mana regeneration, punk.

He winces and I jump back, anticipating an attack that doesn’t come. In fact… he just sort of stands there.

Lag?

I’m not going to let up no matter what it is. I swing with the Ice Brand and connect for 90 points of damage. That brings his health down from 540 to 460. I step back, expecting a follow up attack, but he’s just standing there, pants flaming.

I hear the team over the group chat talk about a newcomer and glance over to see a figure cloaked in black who’s just appeared out of nowhere to backstab Spyce of all people. Looks like FyreK1ng organized the same trap as Bone Eater, relying on an invisible assassin to do early damage.

But the assassin was inexperienced and incapable of taking down their target.

“Need a heal,” she says. “You’re gonna pay for that.”

“On it,” Rose answers.

“I’m back at full,” Stoneburner says. “Only two Master Healing Potions remain in my inventory.”

“I got this douche,” says Brian. “Stone, tank for me.”

“He will fall, Friend Nogg!”

From the looks of it, the team has already taken down the alicorn. That makes it four-to-one against the newcomer as long as I can handle FyreK1ng by myself. Great odds.

I only looked away for a split second, but I’m ready for an attack. But no, he’s just standing there. Okay. Lag or not, I’m taking this guy out. I go to town with the Ice Brand, slashing as fast as my arms allow and gouging out big chunks of health.

And just like that, the King is dethroned. It feels a little cheap, but I’m not sure what else I can do outside of making an appointment for him to fight me again when his internet is fixed. It’s not like he afforded any of the other players he killed that kind of mercy.

You get what you give.

I open his inventory and take everything he has, wanting to nab Graydon’s Pants before I join the others. Having them equipped will make the mop up that much easier if they’re not already done with his opponent.

By the time I equip the pants, to my horror, I hear Brian say, “I’m down. Dammit!”

What the hell!

I look over and see Nogg lying face-first on the ground. Dead.

The shadowy figure is moving quickly, disregarding Stoneburner’s attacks and advancing on Rose.

His name reads Alevastor.

“Dirk, this guy’s trouble,” Brian says. “He’s a level 99 and he’s got a nasty weapon that took me down in just a couple hits.”

Brian goes on to tell me what he saw with Graydon’s Sight before he went lights out and back to level one.

Alevastor has 390 HP and 400 Mana. He’s a Ranger, just like me, only he didn’t get quite as blessed as me when it came to the HP bonuses when dumping points into Stamina. But, he’s good, and so is the sword he’s wielding.

Cave Blade

Magical, Unique

Durability: 330/350

30-50 Damage

Double Damage when used against Wizard Class.

1% Chance of Immediate Kill on unblocked attacks.

That’s a dangerous weapon. It looks to have a stone pommel with a wide, blade that makes me think of Conan—the movie, not any particular Frazetta painting.

He closes on Rose and runs her through completely. I see the blood-soaked tip of the blade pass right through her robes before Alvestor pulls it back out.

Rose falls to the ground, still alive, but in critical condition.

Spyce charges and Alevestor dodges her attacks, bobbing left and right, his guard down like he’s playing with her. Who is this guy?

He swings his sword and slices across Spyce’s midsection, then kicks her to the edge of the Maw’s border. She slides and her legs splash into the water as she struggles to pull herself back up.

By now I’m running to meet Alevestor in battle, but Stoneburner is there faster, roaring from behind, his sword raised to crash down on the villain’s skull.

Without so much as turning to see his attacker, Alevestor drives the sword backward and punches through Burner’s armor. He spins, pulling the blade free and then kicks Burner in the knee, causing the paladin to fall.

I activate the Fire Pants and hurl a Fireball at him. The attack hits him full on, but instead of the 50 base points of damage magnified 100% by the pants he seems completely unfazed. Like… nothing. Like I didn’t even cast the spell, just an illusion.

I stop in place, stunned. How can he have that sort of resistance?

Alevestor strides toward me, swinging his sword in a circle, a big smile on his face. Finally, he speaks. “Nice to see you again, Dirk.”

Son of a bitch. I know that voice all too well. It only takes me a second to make sense of his odd name. Alevastor—an anagram.

Salvatore.

My nemesis is back.

Okay. I’ve taken him out before when I was much less experienced and without the help of my team. Beat up as they are, I still like my odds. But… they need some time to get on their feet. So, let’s see if this real-life bad guy will make the same mistake as the ones in movies. Let’s try and get him talking.

“Funny,” I shoot back. “I can’t say the same. I see you found a way to cheat your way back into the game. What’d you do, buy someone’s account?”

He smiles at me. “Who cares? I’m here. That’s what matters.”

“Yeah, well, your friend isn’t. I took down FyreK1ng and now you’re next.”

Salvatore laughs. “You took down no one. I was boxing, you idiot. I am FyreK1ng. But when I saw that your friend was wearing the helm, well, I revealed myself a little sooner.” He looks down at Nogg’s corpse. “I’ll be taking this now.”

He stoops to loot Graydon’s Sight, but seems to be struggling. I hear him curse in frustration.

“Kick his ass, Dirk,” Brian says over team chat.

I can’t let him take Graydon’s Sight. I would like to get a better idea of what’s going on with his magical resistance, but too late for that. I move in with my Ice Brand still active and swing at him. He absorbs the attack with his arm like it’s not even happening.

Something’s definitely wrong. What is this? Some sort of hack? That shouldn’t be possible in the game. At the same time, I wouldn’t put it past Salvatore.

“Okay. Let’s do it your way, Dirk. Single combat, same as last time. Different outcome this time around, though. I assure you of that.”

I cast Regeneration on myself, ready for anything right about now. He swings and I block the attack with my Ice Brand, which shatters from the impact. Holy crap! It wasn’t at full durability, but to get wiped out that fast… Salvatore’s Cave Sword is packing a serious punch.

I drop the ruined weapon and pull my Vampiric Sword, slashing at the attacker. Again, he makes no effort to block. I don’t seem to do a lot of damage, but I get the full 10 HP and Mana drain. That’s something. Better than what I was achieving through the fireball because he actually stops to cast Regeneration on himself. I’m going to have to stay on the defensive.

We begin to battle in earnest now. The team chat is deathly quiet, probably out of fear of distracting me. All eyes are locked on our combat. Every time Salvatore attacks, I block. Every time I parry, he simply lets the blow land. Other than the 10 HP of base damage drain the Vampiric Sword gives me, I’m not sure what I’m doing. But it doesn’t look like much. In a normal fight, his HP should be getting low enough to need some potions by now. He seems fine.

Man, I wish I had the helm on right about now.

“That last attack did eighteen damage in case you were wondering, Dirk,” Salvatore taunts. “I know it must be disorienting to be without your little cheat item.”

He casts his own Regeneration and quickly begins to recover what I managed to whittle away to this point. Then he does a head fake that catches me off guard and nails me for 95 points of damage, dropping me from 466 HP down to 371. I have regeneration running, but he’s clearly able to chop me down faster than I can chop him down. My slightly higher base HP isn’t going to save me battling toe-to-toe.

But I can’t run away and cede the Helm or my friends to this creep.

I slash and only get 10 HP back from the Vampiric blade. It’s like I’m waving a paper sword at him. Crap. This isn’t fast enough. I know he started with 390 health and with my inexplicably low DPS and him having Regeneration… not good. We haven’t gotten to the point of the fight where potions are needed, but this isn’t how I want things to go.

“Guys,” I tell the team. “Something’s wrong. My attacks are hardly doing anything at all.”

Spyce has barely pulled herself up on the ledge, but she looks hurt. “Dirk, watch that sword. It must be poisoned because I can barely move.”

“Same here,” Rose says. “I feel like I move a centimeter at a time. All I can do is watch.”

“’Tis the same for me,” says Stoneburner. He’s roleplaying, but I get the sense he’s doing it for my benefit. He sounds worried. “Should you fall, he’ll have no problem dispatching us, I fear.”

“If I don’t start doing some damage, that’s exactly what’s going to happen!”

“Dude,” Brian says. “I didn’t see anything that would give him the kind of insane damage resistance you’re experiencing. Did you pick up something cursed from the Fire punk?”

My eyes go wide. I don’t know if I did or not, but that seems so obvious now that Brian mentions it. Salvatore was boxing between Alevestor and FyreK1ng. He let Fire die and let me loot it all at once, knowing there was a threat…

I do my best to dodge and check my inventory when I find the plant buried deep in a bunch of small junk that FyreK1ng must’ve been carrying to keep it hidden.

Fool’s Bauble

Cursed

While Fool’s Bauble is in your inventory, all your attacks are reduced by 95%.

It’s so ingenious that I’m actually impressed despite dislike for the guy. Such a crafty way to get the edge. But… pride comes before the fall and clearly Salvatore is relishing my fighting with all the ferocity of a magikarp. I hastily drop the item and take a massive swing with the sword.

Salvatore doesn’t bother blocking it, but I can tell from the way his character reacts that I did more damage than just the 10HP and mana drain the Sword had been given me. He’s bleeding and his eyes are wide. He scampers away and reaches for a potion.

I stay on top of him and get another slash on his back. He yelps, which tells me that he’s in trouble. Good. Don’t let up, Dirk. Finish this.

Now the team is cheering.

“You’ve got him, Dirk!” Rose calls, still enfeebled and crawling on her knees, her Twisted Serpent Staff in her hand.

“Finish the bastard!” Brian shouts.

I try for a third strike, but Salvatore blocks it with that sword of his. I’m still guessing where his health is, but it’s a safe bet he’s lower than me.

“Nice trick,” I tell him. “Didn’t work.”

Salvatore squares up, ready to take my next assault head on. I swing and we lock blades.

“I’ve got more tricks up my sleeve,” he says, and then drops his free hand to his side to pull out a shimmering, blue blade. He stabs me in the stomach and my health drops from 390 all the way down to 300.

Holy hell.

I break away, the dagger still stuck in my stomach. The attack is so strong that I stumble to my knees and have to begin crawling away in an attempt to get away.

Salvatore laughs like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever seen. Serious 90’s sitcom laugh track vibes. “You forgot to turn your new pants off, Dirk. Funny thing, an ice attack like that gets a random multiplier when you’re flaming. One of Graydon’s tricks, I suppose.” He takes a step toward me. “Time to die.”

I turn and watch him and see that Rose has crawled close enough to take a slow, desperate swing at his legs with her Staff. She lands the attack, though it can’t be for much damage. But then, inexplicably, Salvatore slows.

“Petrified?” he shouts, enraged. He turns and kicks Rose in the face, but then fearing I might get away, leaves her to come after me, plodding slowly from the effects of the staff’s poison.

I bring up a Master Healing potion and am about to drink it when I get a sudden jolt of damage that brings me down to just 21 health. I quaff the potion, go back to full, and then get hit with another jolt that does 400 damage. What the hell!

I look down to the shining blue dagger, the only thing I can think of that’s hurting me and pull it free. It instantly enters my inventory but I’m down to 66 HP and don’t have time to check it. I just have to hope it’s not cursed.

Salvatore is on me, he swings and I roll away. He moves to swing again and I roll again. I’m moving slowly and I’m suffering some kind of cold effect. Not the frosted vision like when getting blasted with a cone of cold, something else more like poison. It seems like my character is shaking and unable to do anything.

I try to bring up another Master Healing potion from my inventory but get a message that says, “You are Too Cold.”

This game is full of surprises sometimes.

I can’t let Salvatore hit me. He strikes again, a little faster this time. The Petrification poison must be wearing off.

I dodge and the random gods shine their smiles upon me. The pants, Graydon’s Fury, trigger the Out of the Fire ability and my health is fully restored. And just in time. Salvatore drives his Cave Sword through me, the tip of the blade digging into the frozen ground at my back.

I take 100 points of damage, but I’m still alive.

“What!” Salvatore shouts. “You should be…” He shakes his head. “No matter. This ends now. No more games.”

He leaves the Cave Sword where it is amid my guts and takes out a short sword that has the same blue glimmer as the dagger that nearly killed me. He’s looking to do another ice attack and finish me off while my stupid burning pants keep burning their stupid flames.

Unable to dodge because, you know, impaled, I bring up my inventory. My hope is to turn off the Flames of Vengeance perk to cancel the ice damage multiplier I’m suffering from before Salvatore lands his final blow. I can’t tell you if I would have been fast enough or not. I look up and see Salvatore’s arms are hanging in place and he’s staring to his right.

A streak of speed then rushes toward us both, knocking Salvatore off his feet. Standing before me is Dead Hunter, who’s dressed in heavy furs, looking like the Viking Warrior I imagined myself to be when leaping into battle.

Salvatore stumbles back to his feet. “Here to steal my kill? That it, Dead Hunter?”

Dead Hunter just stares at Salvatore. “Maybe I just don’t like you.”

Salvatore looks over to where Nogg’s body lies.

“Think you can beat me in a foot race?” Hunter asks. “Think you can beat me at all? Looks like Dirk gave you a pounding.”

“This isn’t over,” Salvatore sneers before casting what had to be a teleportation spell. He’s just… gone.

xxDEAD_HUNTERxx—possessor of Graydon’s Boots—turns and looks at the party.

Spyce is still suffering from the effects of whatever Salvatore did to her. All she can do is look up and say, “Hunter…” like she’s imploring him not to kill us.

Because he could. In our state, he could kill all of us.

Instead, he walks over to Nogg’s body, squats down, and comes up with Graydon’s Sight. “This is the second time I’ve saved your life, Dirk. First time was free. This time, I’m taking this.”

And before I have a chance to protest, he runs off.

Like I could have stopped him anyway.

27

I don’t have an actual tail to tuck between my legs, but I retreat back to Graydon’s temple as fast as I can. Anxiety pools in my stomach and fear has lines of cold sweat running down my back. My teleportation stone spits me out inside the temple and I just stand there for a second fighting the bile threatening to rise in my throat. The others should be along soon.

How did we get our asses handed to us like this?

“Dirk?”

I hear Brian and look for him. He’s created a new avatar, but I’ve been at the player reset screen enough times to know he didn’t customize it at all. The orc he’s chosen looks pitiable with its gray cast skin and burlap sack for clothing.

“Hey,” I reply, hoping I don’t sound as frazzled as I feel. “I see you got a new character made already. Still Nogg though. I guess some things never change.”

“Yeah.” The single word comes out so quiet I barely hear it. Brian sounds dejected, something I don’t think he’s ever exhibited in all the time I’ve known him, not even when I was expelled.

My mind is in turmoil over all that just happened, but I rein it in for my friend. If he sees me upset, it will just make him feel worse. The truth is, I’m not mad at him at all.

“Sorry you had to start all over again,” I tell him. “That’s a huge bummer.”

He just shrugs a shoulder. “Doesn’t matter.”

I shake my head. “Sure it does, man. You were doing awesome out there and because I had you and Stoneburner go first instead of me taking point, you're back to level one. Don’t worry, buddy. I’m going to avenge you and kick Salvatore’s ass. Again.”

I’m trying to sound chipper. I’m not sure Brian buys it. This loss could be devastating.

Brian lets out a gruff snort. “Avenge me? You’re kidding, right? I lost your helmet, Dirk. Graydon’s Sight. One of the most prized possessions in the game, remember? You needed me to do one thing, not die. Like usual, I messed everything up. All that time you spent leveling up my character. I’m just a screw up.”

For a long moment all I can do is stare. My friend is a pretty levelheaded guy. He had some bad moments after I took the fall for him, but for some reason that was different. He’d been regretful, sure, but not depressed.

“Brian, look. That’s how the game goes, man. You go adventuring, you risk losing it all. You and Stoneburner taking the fight to Salvatore—brief as it might have been—let me take the fight to him. Can you imagine if he had been able to just sneak right up behind me? I’d be dead for sure after I looted Fire. Then where would we be? Not only would the helmet be gone, but so would the gloves and ring. Plus, the pants. Think about it. If I died, everyone might have been killed right along with me. Every piece of Graydon’s would have gone to Dead Hunter. Every piece. Now he only has two and we have the rest. It’s not the end of the world, dude.”

Brian looks at me skeptically. “You sure about that? What if Dead Hunter controls Dawnshire now?”

This has admittedly been worrying me. A cold knot of dread that started when I realized the helmet was gone for good has settled like a rock in the pit of my stomach.

“Then we’ll deal with it,” I assure him. When he doesn’t respond I turn back to Graydon’s statue. “Only one way to find out.”

My steps are reluctant. Deep down I’m afraid that Brian is right. The helm is what caused the temple to open in the first place. What if without it I’m no longer the Overseer of the community we’ve worked so hard to build?

It sounds silly, but I gather every last drop of courage and approach Graydon with a stride that is much more confident than I feel.

I hear the others return to the temple and safety.

“I’m gonna be offline for a while,” Spyce says. “Gotta think this one through.”

“Yeah, um, me too,” says Rose.

The two depart, leaving me with Stoneburner and Brian, who watch me as I address the statue of Graydon.

I clear my throat before calling out, “I summon you.”

The statue’s hologram projection activates and Graydon’s eyes stare down at me. Maybe I’m imagining it, but I think he almost looks… disappointed. His voice thunders out, loud as ever. “Greetings, champion.”

“Greetings,” I say back.

“You have both lost and gained pieces of my armor,” he observes.

“Uh, yeah. My party was ambushed.”

Graydon tilts his head to the side, his expression quizzical. “Do you have a question for me?”

It doesn’t escape my notes that The Trickster god ignores my comment. He’s been pretty talkative in the past, but I suppose there are limits to the responses he can give.

I decide to just come right out with it. “Am I still the Overseer of Dawnshire?”

He nods this time. “Of course. You defeated the Djinn Guardian in combat. Until such a time when you are challenged and defeated by another champion, Dawnshire is yours. Of course, your death will also reset the djinn and a new champion will need to complete that challenge to gain control of Dawnshire.”

I almost sag at the confirmation. Dark thoughts had been swirling in my head. Losing the helmet and Dawnshire in one fell swoop would have crippled me. Mind images of my subscribers leaving in droves and taking my sponsorship with them while the income generated by Dawnshire dried up had scared the crap out of me.

“Another player tried to pick up Graydon’s Sight and couldn’t. What would prevent someone from using your armor?”

“Ah, quite the astute question, Champion. The might armor sets cannot be mixed.”

I stare at him trying to compute that statement. “Mighty armor sets? There are multiple Graydon’s sets?”

“I cannot depart that information at this time.”

Okay, now this is unexpected. “When can you answer my question then?”

“When you gain the ancient tome of knowledge. It is already within reach.”

“Great,” I mutter under my breath. Now I had to do more research and hope someone knew what he was talking about. “That’s all for now,” I tell the statue.

“As you wish.”

The hologram fades away, leaving the statue motionless once more. I turn to face Brian and nod. “See? We’re all good, man.”

Stoneburner claps him on the shoulder, but doesn’t say anything.

“If you say so. I don’t know how we’re going to get the helmet back though.”

“Me either,” I say honestly. “I want to know more about these other sets too. But those are problems for future Dirk and Brian.”

“Future Stoneburner,” Stoneburner says, “Needs a break. I don’t wish to abandon you, my friends, unless you are all right? Today’s loss was grave, but perhaps not so grave as it first appears. Yon Dead Hunter spared us. A sign of honor.”

“No, I’m good,” I say, quickly correcting myself because I’d kind of like to just talk with Brian right now but don’t want to be rude. I’m not convinced he’s all right. I have some stuff to do in a while, but not if he’s down. Friends come first. “We’re good.”

Stoneburner nods. “Fare thee well, friends.”

He logs out.

I blow out a breath. “Right now, I’m starving. You?”

“Nah,” says Brian. “I think I’m just going to call it a night.”

That works for me, but only because I wasn’t being completely truthful. I am hungry, but I have that meeting later to finalize some financial details. Not that I’m keeping it from my friend for nefarious reasons. I plan on telling him when it’s all said and done.

“Ok, Brian. Take it easy. I’ll give you a call tomorrow. We can start leveling you up again.”

“Sure,” he says. “Later, Dirk.”

With that, my friend disappears from view. I follow suit, uncertain of the future.

Back in the real world, I finally feel like I can take a breath. Knowing that I’m still in charge of Dawnshire takes a heavy load off my shoulders and some of the sting out of losing Graydon’s Sight. Not a lot, but something.

To keep myself from getting into a bad mental spot over what happened, I list the facts in my head.

First, I’m still the Overseer of Dawnshire, so nothing has changed for me income wise. No one is going to know that anything even happened. Second, Dead Hunter only has two of the six Graydon’s pieces. I still have three, four, collectively if I’m counting Spyce’s belt. Lastly, there’s still a chance I can get my helmet back if I do things right.

Since right now there’s nothing I can do about what’s happening in the game, I focus on the meeting. Part of me is having second thoughts but I’ve come too far. Looking down at my rumpled state, I realize I’ve been playing the game for hours and look less than presentable to talk business.

No, can’t go anywhere looking like a scrub. I push all thoughts of lost helmets and mysterious armor sets out of my mind and start getting ready for what could be my most important meeting ever.

* * *

I wake up the next morning to my phone going off. It takes me a minute to wipe the sleep from my eyes enough to see that it’s Stoneburner hailing me.

Part of me doesn’t want to answer but it could be important. “What’s up, Stone?”

“Friend Dirk! I’m pleased to have finally caught you. There’s been a development.”

My ears perk up at the words. My meeting had gone well and I was hoping for more good news. Stone doesn’t sound upset. In fact, he sounds excited. “Oh? Like what?”

He hesitates, just for a second before answering. “Perhaps you should come to my shop. It might be easier to show you in person.”

“Sure, I’ll log in and head over.”

I spend the load up and subsequent minute-long walk wondering what he could have found. If it were something to do with Dead Hunter or my stolen helmet, he would have just told me. Wishful images of some super charged legendary weapon that can defeat any enemy come to mind but I know better.

Stoneburner’s shop is empty except for him and the three helper NPCs. I don’t see Bowie either, so the little Brownie must be off helping around the settlement.

“Over here, Dirk.”

I go to where Stone is standing near the back of the shop. “Okay,” I tell him. “Hit me. What’d you find out?”

“I think I know more of why Alevastor—Salvatore—wasn’t able to pick up Graydon’s Sight.”

“Yeah? Whatcha got?”

“Do you remember that book that Bowie found?”

“Kind of. Something about blacksmithing, right?”

Stoneburner nods. “Correct. The History of Smithing in King’s League. Rare Edition. I spent free hours last night while my fair wife slept studying the book so I could gain the crafting experience bonus and came across something pretty interesting. Graydon’s armor isn’t the only god set in the game.”

I pause. “Another set… Why did that never occur to us before?”

“Indeed! I’ve been kicking myself. Here, read it for yourself. What you want is on page 50.” He sends me the book in a trade window. The item has a note in it.

Consumed item. Read only. Available to borrow for 30 minutes after opening.

Once the text downloads I skip ahead to the page Stoneburner indicated and start reading.

Long ago Gods ruled the world. Most lived in harmony, but as is the way of things, not all was peace.

Four Upper Gods competed. Graydon, the trickster. Osbourne the wise, Aurora the cunning, and Kalypto the warrior.

They were always making wagers, some no more complicated than an ale challenge. Others, however, were acts of war. Eventually the four deities grew tired of their own games and ascended to their celestial realm.

Over time, Graydon created new races of beings who rose to power in the lower realm; mortals.

This development sparked much debate among the immortals. To help the mortal realm or snuff them out? No final decision could be reached. It was decreed that if the newborn species could survive a millennium on their own merit, divine assistance would be bestowed upon the mortal land.

And so Graydon, along with his ilk, waited. One thousand long years passed. Many intelligent races not only survived—they thrived. A gift was given, one meant to unite all.

Magic.

Again, the gods decided to observe the results of their action.

King’s rose to power. Some were cruel and led by violence. Others gained the favor of their subjects and had no need of such tactics.

Graydon began to see similarities between the divine upper gods and his mortal creations. A new source of amusement revealed itself, for it soon became clear that intelligent races needed a guide. Or, rather, guides.

Seeing a new, interesting task before them, the gods descended on the mortal realm and exerted their influence, each attempting to gain devoted followers. When they tired of this game, a final event was declared. One last competition to decide the ultimate victor, except this time using proxies.

Four sets of armor were hidden throughout the land to await worthy heroes who will one day take up the mantle of champion. Aurora, cunning as always, cast a spell that scattered her opponents armor in pieces, making it harder for them to be found. To balance the scales, Graydon cursed his armor so that no mortal could find it until at least one piece of all the rest were collected.

According to legend, the gods still wait. If the four champions are ever found, a great battle will ensue. When the dust settles, only one will be victorious and rule all of King’s League’s many realms.

I suck in a silent breath and try to reconcile what I just read.

“Is this real?” I ask Stoneburner after returning the book and closing the window.

“I haven’t had a chance to look,” he replies. “Would you like me to investigate?”

“Not just yet. I’m still processing.” I go silent for a beat, trying to remember everything the tome said. “That’s what Graydon meant when he said the mighty sets. Salvatore must have one of the other gods’ pieces. I wonder if Bowie can track down another book.”

The Paladin winces and shakes his head. “I’m afraid not. Bowie was released from service when Nogg perished.”

“Of course,” I say wearily. “I guess we’ll have to find them on our own. People sell books at the River Market all the time. I’d say it’s worth taking a look.”

Stoneburner nods seriously. “Me as well. The implications of the text are quite substantial. “

“I’ll say. Only one will be victorious and draw wealth beyond imagination from all of King’s League’s many realms,” I recite the passage from memory. “If that means what I think it means, collecting a whole set does more than just give you maxed out armor and level one hundred. It means you have to fight in some four-way battle royale.”

Our eyes meet at the same time.

“And winner takes all,” I say.

“But all what? It can’t be…” he trails off, clearly not wanting to say it.

I look around the shop to make sure no one is in earshot before replying. “Think of what we’ve gotten just from controlling Dawnshire and Cygnus… so like, we get control of the Dawnshire equivalent in every realm?”

Stoneburner rubs his chin. “Wealth beyond imagination.”

Epilogue

“Where are we going, man?” asks Brian. His words come out monotone and decidedly bleak.

That’s to be expected. I’d be lying if I said losing the helmet isn’t a major blow. It’s worse for Brian though. He thinks he let me down. I don’t feel that way, and even though I’ve tried to reassure him, my friend isn’t listening.

I don’t blame him for being curious about our destination either. It’s dark on the sidewalk outside my apartment and all I told him is that I had a surprise. My neighborhood isn’t known for being a shining beacon of safety and walking at night isn’t usually recommended unless you have the physique of a bodybuilder and personality of a guard dog. I’m neither of those things.

That’s why I’ve ordered a rideshare and even sprang for the single trip fee. I don’t want anyone else riding with us right this second.

“Be patient,” I tell him with a laugh. A car with the HitchRidr logo pulls up and honks once. I think it’s supposed to be a play on hitch hiker which sounds a little ominous, but hey it’s the top app in the city. The car matches the information on the app and I point at it. “There’s our ride. Just get in and all will be revealed.”

He grumbles something that I can’t understand but climbs in, folding his big body to fit in the compact vehicle.

The trip doesn’t take long, just a few minutes. Brian is watching the streets roll by and I can tell he’s trying to work out where we’re going. It doesn’t take long before he’s looking over at me with both eyebrows shooting up.

When the car stops in front of my old gym his look of surprise becomes one of puzzlement. I pay the fare with the app and follow Brian out of the compact vehicle. Seconds later the driver pulls away from the curb and leaves us standing there outside the gym.

“Dirk. How is this a surprise?” Brian sounds incredulous and I can’t help but laugh on the inside.

I motion at the door. “It’s not a gym anymore, dude. Take a look.”

He steps closer and inspects the sticker that’s been placed over the old decals. “Sold. You dragged me all the way out here to show me that our old gym was bought?” He sighs. “This is the kind of thing you can just text people, you know.”

I lift a dismissive shoulder. “Not this piece of news: you know the owner. We both do.”

“I knew the previous owner, too,” he says. “Or at least his son. Who’s the new one?”

Unable to keep the news inside any longer, I dig into my pocket and come up with the key as I step forward and unlock the door.

His eyes widen at me and his jaw nearly drops. “You’re kidding.”

I smile and open the door for him, then let out my hand to invite him inside. “After you, buddy.”

* * *

Brian cranes his neck to take in the space. “I can’t believe you bought this place.”

“It seemed like a good opportunity. This part of town isn’t all that bad. It doesn’t need to be, anyway. Maybe not what I had in mind initially but I think you’re going to like it.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he says. “It’s your money, Dirk. You’re the one who needs to like it. What are you planning to do with the place?”

“Follow me.” I lead him up the stairs to a small landing.

On the right side is a large office with a window that overlooks the main gym floor. I’d never noticed it before the realtor’s walkthrough with me, but then again, I was usually absorbed in my workout and thinking about whatever was going on in my life all the times I’d been here before.

On the left is an apartment. The realtor had explained that it could be leased out if I didn’t want to use it, but McNasty senior had left it empty after he evicted Bob. I unlock that door too and step back to let Brian in.

“First thing,” I say as I follow him inside, “is live here. You were right about my needing a new apartment.”

The entry opens into a small foyer. Beyond that, on the right is the living room and one of the bedroom bathroom combos. To the left is a decent little dining area and kitchen nook with a full size stove, updated fridge unit, and one appliance I’d never had before: a dishwasher. Apparently, heaven does exist.

“Hey, this isn’t half bad,” Brian says with some fervor. “Definitely has your old place beat!”

“Yeah, you got that right. Two bedrooms with private baths, plus a balcony that overlooks the backstreet. The whole building has an older security system because of the gym but I’m not sure if it’s active.”

“I wonder why Carter's dad didn't rent this room out. Or why he even bought the gym in the first place if he was just going to let it go under. That seems stupid.”

“I asked the realtor the same thing. She said she couldn't say anything for certain but she knows of investors who intentionally buy businesses and let them flop for tax purposes and the government relief programs you can get. And Hannah told me that the gym wasn’t profitable.”

“Huh. You get that text yet?”

“Nope. Kind of gave up on it. Anyway, I'm going to try to make the most of this place.”

I spend the next few minutes walking Brian through every square foot.

“There’s one more thing to show you,” I tell him when we’re done. “Across the hall.”

He follows me once more as I lead him to what used to be the owner’s office. It’s a spacious room and also has a bathroom, which will be a nice feature when things are up and running.

“Okay,” says Brian, drawing out the word. “You’ve got an office. And the apartment is cool, but I know you didn’t just buy a building for the sweet digs on the top floor. Does this mean you’re gonna reopen the gym?”

I walk to the window and pull up the blinds. Most of the floor is open, and I can already envision the place bustling with carpenters and other skilled workers. “No, though the thought did cross my mind. The equipment was part of the deal. We can sell what we don’t want for personal use.”

Brian shoots me a dubious look. “We? Dirk, this is your place. I’ve got the dorms so you gotta find a different roommate to help make rent or whatever. You know I’m happy to help you move in and get you all set up, but that’s about it. At least until college is over.”

I turn to look at my friend. “It’s my place, but not just mine,” I reply. “Welcome to the corporate offices of Ebon Shire, LLC. You’re the Vice President.”

“The…what?”

I take his hand and shake it aggressively. “Congratulations on your latest new promotion. We expect great things.”

“Dude. I haven’t accepted.” Brian takes a step back and folds his arms, examining me mischievously. “There’s still the matter of benefits and pay. How much vacation do I get? Do I get my own office? How about a secretary—she has to be hot.” He snaps his fingers, trying to think up more things. “Business cards! Oh! And I’ll definitely want a VIP parking spot with my name on it. You’ll need to tow anyone who tries to use it.”

I shake my head.

“Hey, only joking. Sort of. You know I’m down.” He points a finger at me. “You also know that I have football obligations.”

“Yeah. I knew that when I made the offer.”

He nods, satisfied. “Okay. I’ll take the job. Under one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“Time to text that girl, Dirk.”

I drop my hands at my side. “But you said—”

“I know what I said. These things are complex, my dude. She lost her job. Her life is unraveling. Now is the time to show up again, real cool, though.”

I nod, eager to move on and talk about my new business plan. “Fine. I’ll do it. But I want to show you the…”

Brian crosses his arms.

“What?” I ask.

“Do it now. Or I walk.”

“You’re not walking.”

“Oh yeah?” Brian takes a few steps.

I jog to cut him off. Not because he’s serious, but because he’s right. The only reason I even have Hannah’s phone number is because I just went for it. Time to try again. “Okay, okay. I’ll text her.”

“Take out your phone. I need to observe.”

I do as commanded and bring up our single message text log. “Pizza Hannah.”

“You didn’t even text her back your full name?” Brian swats my shoulder with the back of his hand. “What’s wrong with you!”

“You said not to!”

“I didn’t know you hadn’t even shown her the basic courtesy of giving your name, man. Jeez. No wonder she didn’t text again, Dirk.”

I shake my head, a little irritated.

Brian attempts to be helpful. “Okay. Text her and say—”

“I’m just going to tell her I’m sorry she lost her job and ask if she’d like to hang out,” I say, typing on my phone as I explain.

“Dude. That’s not… Don’t just go full force. You gotta build up to that. Send some appropriate GIFs first. Then ask her out. If it were me, what I would type is—”

“Too late. Sent it.”

I meet Brian’s eyes. His face is one of stern disappointment. He just shakes his head. Then he looks down at my phone and arches an eyebrow.

“She’s typing,” he says.

Sure enough, the little dots are pulsating, showing she’s active. My phone chimes that I’ve got a new text. I turn around, my stomach in turmoil and my pride not wanting Brian to see me epically go down in flames. With a response that quick, I’m fearing the worst.

“What’d she say?” Brian asks, trying to physically pull my arm around so he can better see the phone over my shoulder. He’s jumping on me like we’re kids.

I elbow him. “Get off! I haven’t even read it myself.”

Once I get a second to hold the screen still, I feel a shock jolt its way through my body. “Brian. Brian, look.” I show him the text log:

Hannah, so sorry the gym closed down. I tried the car show but you weren’t there. Can I take you out to dinner?

I’d love that.

Connect with Jason Anspach

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About The Creators

Jason Anspach is an Associated Press bestselling author best known for the Galaxy’s Edge military sci-fi series. He lives in the Pacific Northwest and is regularly the MVP of all driveway basketball games—at least until his sons grow a couple of inches taller.

If you’d like to read more from Jason, check out the expansive Galaxy’s Edge catalog at www.GalaxysEdge.us or visit www.JasonAnspach.com.

* * *

J. N. Chaney is a USA Today Bestselling author, has a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and fancies himself quite the Super Mario Bros. fan. He migrates often, but was last seen in Las Vegas, NV. Any sightings should be reported, as they are rare.

Chaney is best known for his Renegade Star series, the Variant Saga, the Messenger series, and Ruins of the Galaxy. For more on his releases, go to www.jnchaney.com