MM - Chapter 89 - LITTLEST ROCK

Damian Tafell

Damian relaxed into his comfortable chair with a pleased sigh. Another sip of his cocktail filled his mouth with a refreshing, fizzy flavor that was entirely unique to ZionLine. In his humble opinion, the designers were geniuses. How they found new ways to trigger the pleasure centers of the brain was beyond him, but he was here for it.

In every other regard, the inn he found in the commoners district was far below his standards, so it was good for them that their food consistently delivered novel experiences. Stuffed, and basking in the twilight streaming through a nearby window, he was on top of the world. 

Another report from his spies revealed that Talerra had finally reached level sixteen. At seventeen, he had a clear advantage over the abysmally inept girl. Unlike her attempt to raise multiple people at once, he’d focused his entire guild’s might on the five people needed for the first round of their ‘competition.’ The mere thought that she could rival him was laughable. 

It was one of his many genius ideas that saw them moving their sham of a contest into ZionLine in the first place. In reality, his physical body was several times stronger than hers. Additionally, they had both been allotted with the same number of thetadrive headsets, further balancing the playing field. His faux magnanimity had immediately brought seven of the ten Phoenix Clan elders to his side. Regardless of the outcome, he would be named the next heir of the family. Not that it mattered. In ZionLine, he was a king amongst men and his little cousin had no chance of defeating him.

He would thoroughly crush her. Then, her illegitimate branch of the family would fall in disgrace and he would finally be allowed to watch the last of them die.

That filthy whore should never have been granted the blessing to breed with our superior genetics. The fact her daughter is still traipsing around wearing my name is a fucking sin! 

An image of Talerra's mother flashed through his thoughts. As always, she wore that same disgusting smile. Even when he watched her die, it was still there, like some abhorrent, contagious sickness. Talerra's only saving grace was her too-similar smile being wiped from her lowborn face for the last two years.

Fucking cattle. How dare she desire to touch the sky; my sky! Eat dirt, and make meat. Is it really so hard to do what you were born to do? 

The glass shattered in his hand, spraying liquid across the floor. Annoyed, he waved animatedly for the servant NPC to hurry up and clean him.

A call came in. Glad for the distraction, Damian answered it without checking their identity. Seeing the troubled expression on the old temple warrior’s face, Damian snapped, “What?! I’m busy.”

“Young Master, there’s been a… complication.”

Damian smacked the table with his palm, glaring at the feeble old fool, “Of course there has! I left you with ninety-five percent of my forces, in advantageous geography, for two days. Two days! It was a given you wouldn’t be able to handle even that. Congratulations, you’ve thoroughly spoiled my mood. Out with it, then, what did you ruin this time?”

Taking a deep breath, the temple warrior ripped off the bandage, “We were attacked by a player named Alaric. When he made it to Vile Peak Town, he somehow got the town lord to do his dirty work. We were wiped out instantly. Most of our forces died twice and we recovered very little of the dropped gear.”

Damian was so shocked by the news that the servant NPC roughly patting at his garments didn’t register in his mind. Forty thousand levels lost, and an equal quantity of equipment wasn’t merely a setback, it was catastrophic. Damian had already liquidated one and a half billion credits of his personal real world assets to fund his guild. Over sixty percent of his life savings, all to ensure his future.

The foundations he’d bought should have seen him accelerate beyond the nearby guilds, even if they weren't limited by numbers as he was. He managed to crush them so far, utilizing superior levels and equipment quality, but that advantage had vanished in an instant.

Damian’s voice was inky with vitriol and his lips trembled, “Two levels each, and forty thousand pieces of the gear that we painstakingly crafted… Hundreds, hundreds of millions of my credits gone and you’re saying it was caused by one man?! You damn traitor! Go kill yourself right now! If you do, I’ll be lenient and leave a single child of your lineage alive.”

The temple warrior’s face went pale, his eyes wide as they could go. Damian’s dark gaze tracked to a heavily muscled man at a nearby table, “Samson! Make sure his entire family is dead within the hour. If you hear from me again before it's done, you can spare one of them.”

“Understood, Young Master!” Samson logged out, vanishing in a swirl of light.

Damian turned back to the dead man who still dared to draw breath, waiting, watching.

Raine KongRu

The main street of Vile Peak Town was all but barren. Other than the few independent players that managed to survive beneath the tyranny of Rising Endlessly, there were a smattering of Vaaterrans and thousands of pieces of loot. Raine wasn’t fool enough to touch the dropped gear. He held his breath, eyes on Lord Salamon who still flew high above. The man wasn’t even looking back, yet the pressure he exuded was a heavy blanket draped over Raine’s head. There was no use resisting the killing intent, and doing so might end up with him joining the Rising Endlessly players at the graveyard.

[Vaaterran (Hierarch): Level 135 (HP: ?????/?????)]

[Negative affliction received (Greater enfeeblement): -50% to Movement and Attack Speed]

As a fourth tier class, Salamon was beyond the peak of what most players would achieve in ZionLine. The difference between the third and fourth class evolutions wasn’t a gap easily spanned. It took true talent, effort, and luck. Even then, the results were not guaranteed. In the past, every time someone managed to advance to the fourth tier was a cause for celebration. In all of CronGate’s thirty year legacy, there had been only twenty-nine to make the leap.

It was for that very reason Raine wanted his guild to specialize in quality over quantity. While having a million subordinates to farm for materials was useful for a while, that addvantage would fade. Only those who could cross the divide into the fourth tier were capable of clearing the hardest zones. There, they could harvest the truly valuable commodities that could make or break a guild. Additionally, a single tier four could wipe out an army of a million tier three’s given enough time.

Even those who ascended to a fifth tier god couldn’t challenge the hardest content alone. It was the tier four powerhouses that supported from the back line who made the impossible possible. In the past, some of the existing super-guilds, like The Rising Phoenix, learned that lesson too late. They put so much focus and resources into a few key individuals that they were overtaken in the end.

Satisfied order had been restored, Salamon vanished, taking his killing intent with him. A flood of Vaaterran guards dropped from the walls. They swarmed the streets, collecting the lord’s loot. Raine turned sharply and made his way back to the entrance of town. He sent a quick message to the group, “Go ahead and drop stealth. Get here on the double.”

A hazy mirage shimmered on the ground as they appeared a short distance away. They sprinted to his side, each looking scared out of their wits. Richtor called out, beating the others who wanted to speak, “How did you survive all that lightning?!”

Raine beckoned with a wave, leading them toward the nearest tavern. When they caught up, he shrugged, “It wasn’t aimed at me. Most high tier AOE skills are controlled through either the intent of the caster, or the targets. In this case, Lord Salamon’s skill hit everyone who knew they were breaking the law. Let’s take this as a warning not to mess with the locals.”

Fizgore laughed darkly, “Brother, you have a gift for answering in a way that leads to more questions.”

Kevinsbakon pumped a fist, “Yeah! Couldn’t agree more. But also details. We want details!”

“Rising Endlessly caused a scene in a town run by a tier four powerhouse. They were warned and didn’t listen fast enough. Not sure what they expected to happen, but it's good for us. Let’s get you guys bound and get out of here. We’re running out of time,” Raine picked up the pace and they were right on his heels.

Mel closed in to Raine’s side. She gently tapped his forearm, blinking up at him through dark lashes, “Are you okay? You got hit so many times and… you killed so many people. I—”

Raine nonchalantly flicked a wrist, “I lost a few points of durability. Not a big deal.”

She pouted, scrunching her nose, “That’s not what I meant…”

“I know,” he paused to open the tavern door for her. He smiled softly, trapping her gaze, “It’s nice to be worried after. I’ll be in your care when I get hurt for real.”

Rose-faced, Mel scuttled inside and the group filed in after her. After a well-deserved, delicious glass of water, they were marching through rapidly filling streets toward the Gromglenn yard. Disappointingly, the revived members of Rising Endlessly gave them a wide berth. Now that many of them had a double respawn debuff, another death would have them locked inside a dreary, empty room for over two hours.

Raine made a show of waving to them anyways, hoping to trigger a few and earn even more credits from Talerra. He couldn’t wait to see her expression when she figured out how much she owed him already. His continued taunts caused his friends to look at him like he was a lunatic; the power and vengeance of the Phoenix Clan was known to all. 

Celeste was the only one not goggling at him with slack-jawed confusion. She tried to hide a snide grin by folding her lips. She shook her head, looking away, “You’re crazy.”

“You can say that again,” Rhino blurted, eyes glued to the skies.

“Am I?” Raine wondered aloud, “Sometimes, I feel like the only sane one.”

They’re coming after us no matter what. The more angry they are, the more likely they’ll make a mistake. How is this not common sense? Whatever. I can’t be bothered to explain it and they don’t need the added pressure of knowing how insane things are going to get all too soon.

Raine’s foreboding thought had Mel and Celeste meeting eyes ever so briefly, their expressions flat.

The Gromglenn’s yard was much the same as the last time Raine visited. They were no longer working on the heavy resource extractor. It now lay on its side, a huge hole in its torso where most of its innards had been gutted. They swarmed over what looked like a tank crossed with a horse due to its thin, elongated frame and heavy treads.

Noticing him, Gizmo—also known as bigboss—threw the spanner he was holding at one of the other short, leathery critters. The improv weapon flew straight and true, smacking him upside the head with a ‘gong’ of struck metal. Hopping from foot to foot, Gizmo shouted in the typical Gromglenn mixture of high pitched and gravely, “No more dally-dally! Littlest rock already back-back! Go-go, get princess with much hurries!”

Raine waved his hands, shaking his head, “I’m not here for the quest. I need to buy a few things, then we’re off.”

Gizmo moved so fast his form blurred into a solid line that ended at Raine’s knee. He jumped, thwacking Raine on the head, “What-what?! No good, no good. Running out of time-time! One month, no more-more!”

[Chain Quest: Melacor’s Munitions updated]

[Create, buy, or acquire through other dubious means, fifty Gromglenn Boomsticks and bring them to Bigboss Gizmo (30 days remaining)]

[Rewards: Variable]

[Warning: Failure to complete this quest on time will have unforeseen and dire consequences. Quest may not be abandoned]

Damn. That’s going to be tight. Good thing I’ll have a guild to help collect those materials.

Rubbing the top of his head from the overpowered little monster’s strike, Raine hustled to Gazmo’s side. He was easy to distinguish thanks to being more tan than the rest of his companions. Raine bowed politely, “I’d like to purchase a few things.”

“Sure-sure. I gladly take coins-coins from dull littlest rock.”

“Not sure why, but I really like these guys,” Celeste had been nursing a grin from the moment they arrived. By now, it stretched ear-to-ear. Raine didn’t find it the least bit pretty.

He glowered at her, “You’re welcome to stay here then.”

She laughed him off, “Don’t be like that, littlest rock.” There was a cunning undertone to her voice that had Raine questioning her sanity.

Does she… want me to be harder on her? Who am I to judge? If that’s what she likes, I’ll gladly oblige.

Outwardly, Raine pretended not to hear her, directing his attention to the list of purchasable items in his interface. Making his selections, he acquired thirty regular skydrifters for ten gold each.

[Gromglenn Lesser Skydrifter: (Common Grey) Activate outside of combat to hopefully glide from a high elevation. This device is prone to failure. You have been warned (Durability 50/50)]

Previously, Raine lacked the funds to purchase any of the basic engineering recipes. He bought one of each, knowing they would be necessary soon. Besides, if he was going to craft the Gromglenn Boomsticks for his quest, he would need to drastically increase his engineering proficiency.

[Gromglenn Lesser Lantern: (Design Schematic - Novice) Releases a dim light via chemical induction. Do not shake vigorously or use beyond listed durability for… reasons]

[Gromglenn Lesser Skydrifter: (Design Schematic - Novice) Activate outside of combat to hopefully glide from a high elevation. This device is prone to failure. You have been warned]

[Gromglenn Structural Repair Kit: (Design Schematic - Novice) Repairs 1000 durability of any mundane structure or fortification over a ten minute period (time reduced based on wielders knowledge and application)]

[Basic Structures: (Design Schematic - Novice) Contains the requisite knowledge to Design and create Blueprints needed to craft basic structures]

[Basic Fortifications: (Design Schematic - Novice) Contains the requisite knowledge to Design and create Blueprints needed to craft basic fortifications]

[Basic Traps: (Design Schematic - Novice) Contains the requisite knowledge to Design and create Blueprints needed to craft basic traps]

[Basic Machinery: (Design Schematic - Novice) Contains the requisite knowledge to craft most basic machinery]

Bidding the intelligent critter goodbye, Raine led the way out the back gate of Vile Peak Town and up a steep mountain path, toward a distant, snowy peak.