HC:Pacifist | Ch. 130 - Region Announcement

Roth swam with all his might for as long as he could. Even though the water only came up to his knees in his normal form, he could swim in it in miniaturized form. When he saw a flash behind him, he went blind for a few seconds. When his vision returned, he noticed how his camouflage was slightly blurred. He hoped that his small size and the water had been enough to evade Gary’s attention.

Gary had probably overheard the elevator. He kept swimming underwater for as long as he could. Whenever he had to come to the surface for fresh air, he did so very slowly to avoid causing ripples in the water’s surface and giving away his position. After thirty minutes of swimming, he hauled himself out of the water to dry land, deactivated miniaturized form, and ran toward the nearest exit. He’d successfully escaped.

*

The Crusher’s campaign tent wasn’t as big as Pegasus’, but as a tier 3 guild, it still had enough room to accommodate the thousand-plus players that sat as they waited for their commander to appear.

Xerxes waltzed in five minutes after the appointed time. He didn’t apologize even though he had wasted more than 80 hours of their collective lives by keeping them all waiting for him to appear. He lingered for a few seconds to let the awe spread through the crowd as they all commented on his new race. He was the first longhead in the game, and he let the prestige of having unlocked a new race add to his presence.

After these few well-calculated power moves, he felt he had asserted enough dominance over the spectators.

“First of all, thank you all for coming. For those who don’t know me, I’m Xerxes, one of the guild elders. Jasper?”

One of his goons who stood by his side grunted in acknowledgment. He wasn’t exceptionally bright, but since he followed Xerxes with blind obedience, he was among his favorites. He still didn’t know who kept tattling about everything he did to Loki, but he was sure it wasn’t Jasper.

“Check the guild logs and see who isn’t here. Whoever isn’t has to give us one month of permafrost labor in the mines.” He made sure he spoke loud enough so that everyone could hear, and he could hear the fear spreading. The murmuring and hasty whispers showed the disquiet running through the group. He’d learned so much about leadership and fear from Loki. He had to admit that moving to the Pegasus guild had been a good move.

“I came here with one purpose and one purpose only. To do what you could not. We’re looking for a player named ‘Pax.’ He’s been trying to target our guild in insidious ways and needs to be taught a lesson. From now on, I want you to stop whatever you’re doing. You’re going to hunt him full-time. We don’t know much about him. All we do know is that he’s probably a powerful esper and that he has unlocked the light affinity.”

A few appreciative whistles were heard in the crowd.

“Look for places associated with light, justice, or similar things. Patrol the university in case he goes to turn in a quest there. Also, he was last seen in the sewers under the city. Boris will select a hundred of you at random, and you’ll turn the whole sewers upside down until you find clues.”

At the mention of being forced to patrol the sewers, the faces of many in the crowd twisted in disgust. Now that he’d given the stick, it was time to present the carrot.

“Since so many of us are here, I’m confident we’ll locate this player soon. You’re all brilliant players. I know that because Pegasus doesn’t keep dead weight. You’re all mighty!” He roared, and a round of applause and cheers went through the group. “No one messes with Pegasus. You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!” Another round of cheers.

“I will issue a city-wide announcement and put a bounty on this player’s head. On top of that, whoever finds him gets 1000 gold from the guild.” Hearing the generous rewards, the atmosphere in the tent suddenly became festive, and the murmurs had transformed into an exciting buzz.

“Chop, chop! Find me Pax!”

*

Roth kept running through the sewers, heading toward Golden Mountain Inc. He kept [Camouflage] and his snake form activated at all times in case someone was out here looking for him. Even though his speed was impaired from having changed to snake form, he could still move at a considerable speed because of his [Plumber Boots] and his passive skills. The [Flag of the Rat Cave] and its 10% bonus was also proving its worth.

Since he’d already used [Miniaturize] to increase his chances of going unnoticed by whoever was left behind to find him at the entrance to Mario’s lab, he had to leave through one of the normal exits that led out of the sewers and into the commercial district. He would have felt much more comfortable just climbing up through Soros’ toilet, but he had to work with what he had.

He kept his camouflage on at all times and headed toward the safest place he could remember, Golden Mountain Inc. The memory of a player being obliterated by Soros’ security system had left a deep impression on him, and he was confident that no one would dare bother him there.

It was his first time attempting to walk while in stealth in the middle of a crowded street. Everywhere, people and animals were going to and fro, kicking up dust on the street and filling the streets of Hilsford with life. As he walked toward Merchant’s Street, he couldn’t avoid bumping into one player or another, but he was mostly overlooked. A couple of times, a visibly higher-level player stopped and looked in his direction, making him realize that despite how high his subterfuge was, it was still not infallible.

In a world full of strife and PvPing, there were many instances in which players were attacked by rogues in the wild. Having a way to detect an incoming player in stealth was a fundamental tool for survival. He hastened his step. Just as he was almost arriving at Golden Mountain Inc., he received a notification that stopped his heart.

REGION ANNOUNCEMENT!

The Pegasus Guild will pay 1000 gold to whoever locates ‘Pax.’ Last seen in the sewers under Hilsford.

As Roth walked the streets, he overheard many excited reactions to the notification.

“The top guilds sure are rich. Do you know how much it costs to issue this kind of announcement? Last I checked, it was 50k gold. They sure must hate the player.”

“Isn’t that kind of cheap? To fork out 50k and only give 1k as a reward. What did this player do to them?”

“Did you read this sis? Let’s try and find this Pax fellow. With 1000 gold, we can buy that rare sword you wanted.”

“Send a message to your classmates. We’ll go sweep the sewers together, and we can split the profit.”

“Dude? I don’t want to go to the stinking sewers.”

“Come on! Do you know what I could do with 1k?”

As much as he tried to ignore it, he couldn’t. All passersby had become conspirators who were plotting to take him down. Roth’s breaths quickened, and he hurried toward Golden Mountain Inc. It felt like his journey would never end.

He started receiving calls from everyone on the 14th and even from his mother, but he ignored them all. He channeled all his concentration into getting to Soros. Even though he was nigh invisible with [Snake Form], he didn’t want to linger on the streets one second longer.

The white-marbled building looked like an oasis in the desert. Roth dragged himself up the stairs. Every glance thrown his way frightened him. He kept moving as fast as he could. He entered the lounge, made a left, and then entered the back offices and collapsed, drenched in sweat.

He felt like he had been swimming underwater and only now had been given a fresh breath. The announcement only made it worse. What did this mean? Why was the whole Pegasus guild after him? Wasn’t it only his former squad that was hunting for him? How did they know he had been hiding in the sewers? What had Roth done to them to draw so much attention?

Each unanswered question only added to the confusion. He felt like his ignorance was slapping him in the face and punching him in the gut. After a few moments of panic, he finally gathered the strength to pick up Drake’s call. He’d been calling him repeatedly since the announcement.

“Hey, Drake.”

“Lil’ Roth! What happened?”

“The coast was clear at Mario’s Lab. I made a run for it and reached Golden Mountain Inc.”

The disapproving stare of Drake hit him hard.

“What was I supposed to do, Drake? Stay cooped up down there forever? I was careful.”

“You could have told me. We could have created a distraction or something like that. That could have increased your chances of making it out.”

“I’m sorry. But I promise that no one saw me. I used a new skill I have.”

“Very well. I trust you, Roth.” Drake’s expression softened. “I trust you saw the announcement.”

“Who hasn’t? What does this mean?”

“It seems that from now on, you won’t be only having your former friends chasing after you. The guild has all gotten involved.”

“Do you think they found out I am Pax?”

“I don’t think so. I think they’re hunting you for a different reason.”

Roth reread the notification. “The sewers… could it be? Drake, what if Pegasus was behind what was happening to the animals under the sewers? Someone had to install those devices down there to block the gatorbots.”

Drake nodded gravely. “It’s like you can’t help getting into trouble with Loki,” he laughed. “Anyway, Roth, it’s time to move. There’s too much heat here in the city. It’s time to make a run for it.”

“Are we supposed to just leave everything I built here and run?”

“It was one thing when it was just three players in a city of millions. But if you stay, you’ll be found out eventually.”

Roth gulped.

“Listen, I don’t know much about gaming, but aren’t you just level 20? Is it the end of the line for you if you start fresh somewhere else?

As much as Roth liked Soros and Mario, he had to agree with Drake. He could always make new friends elsewhere. “OK. I’ll wait until it’s dark. That will enhance my chances of going unnoticed.”

“Good.”

“What about you all? Will you also move with me?”

“Uprooting the whole group will be more difficult. I say that we stay here for now. When this blows over, perhaps you can return here.”

“What about all my broker deals?”

“It’s what it is, Roth.”

Roth punched the ground frustratedly. He’d just tried to help the poor animals living underground, but he felt like he was a magnet for disgrace. No matter how hard he tried to escape trouble, trouble always found him.

“Can I ask you for a favor, Drake?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Please bring my mom here to Golden Mountain Inc. I want to see her before I leave.”

Drake gave him a sad smile, “Of course. We’re on our way.”

Drake hung up. Roth let out a deep sigh. Even though he hadn’t been in Hilsford for long, this is where he’d become a pacifist and an ecotailor. This is where he’d found Mario and Solomon and the place where he’d also started his first peace treaty.

He hated the thought of leaving, but he was being sieged on all sides, and staying wasn’t a smart move. If he did, it was only a matter of time before Loki found him again. As much as he disliked the idea, it was time to prepare things and leave.

Ch. 129 - Dead Quiet

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