Shiba had kept himself busy dealing with his stall and didn't realize what had happened until he got a message from the guild leader hours later. He had sold a few daggers to a few women looking for personal protection but otherwise, it was a slow day for him but at least he kept himself working. After about 3 hours of working at the stall, he started to pack up so he could enjoy himself at the festival properly. After all working for days improving his blacksmithing skill and creating weapons can really stress a person. Everyone needed some relaxation but it seemed that once he had put everything away he got a message that made his blood run cold.

Shiba then wrote a message back and said "I will go hunting outside of town to look for the player. I can't relax at the festival knowing one of our own has been murdered. I won't be gone long and I'll get some rest before the dungeon tomorrow. Wish me luck, let's see if I am any good as your guild assassin" Once he sent the message he left the shop since he had brought all the unsold goods back for sale later. So he got his gear and ran out to search the exits from the city to see if there was any traffic that would indicate where the assassin could have run...

---

Theo was having arguably the most fun he ever had since he had first come into the game - The guild never really "hung out" as a group, and this was the first real time that Theo had the chance to simply relax and act like a normal kid his age. A large number of the stores in the city were closed for the day, just as the Inn wasn't offering food during the festival. It didn't make much of a difference, considering that there were countless stalls littering the city, mostly offering free goods like food and drink or small toys. Some stalls were selling weapons, from what Theo was able to see - he even saw one of his guild mates, Shiba, selling daggers to a few NPC women. Choosing to not distract his friend, Theo moved to a further location, closer to the harbor, buying the Solace Blade on the way.

The next few hours were spent with very little in the way of conflict - Hans seemed almost ready to get into a fight with one of the stall vendors who gave him a partly rotten caramel apple, but was calmed down when he was reminded that the food was free and there was no real harm done. The trio were sitting on a bench, which faced towards one of the fountains that were scattered throughout the city. They were eating kebabs with various roasted meats on them, which Theo had "Offered to pay for" - that joke had been a lot funnier in his head, and barely elicited a smirk from the pair. Still, Theo was happy to try something besides the Shepard Pie he was used to - he didn't get sick of the same food, but this was a special occasion, and it didn't hurt to change things up every now and then.

Or, at the very least, he'd have something to bring up whenever Julia complained about him only eating one thing.

The sun shown with a calm intensity, radiating the same heat and comfort of the sun beams that cats are so fond of sleeping in. It was almost easy for Theo to distract himself from his situation, and the hundreds of players who had already lost their lives in the game. The area they were sitting in was nearly devoid of players, mostly composed of NPCs - lines of code, that Theo could hardly believe weren't real. They were intelligent, or at least intelligent enough to hold opinions and articulate responses to specific questions. How did the programmers of Talrae get the processing power to create so many NPCs, all of whom possess this sentience?

Theo quickly shook his head. He needed to stop focusing on that - he simply needed to ignore his situation for once, and relax. This was what he had initially wanted when he started playing. A truly immersive experience, where he could be anyone except himself.

This thought was immediately eradicated as Theo read the guild message that Reylan had sent out.

"Legion of the Wolf. It pains me to say this but...Karma was murdered. I am not sure when, but this bastard named Valentine is responsible. His name tag is red, possibly black now, and if you see it anywhere...bring him in. We will find him and he WILL answer for his crime."

Theo felt cold - the same overwhelming pressure that had come over him when he realized the deaths of his other friends... Was friends to powerful of a word? Even though most of his guild mates were relative strangers, Theo couldn't help but feel an oppressive darkness surround the corners of his vision, and his stomach immediately begin to clench up.

The kebab, once emitting a delicious and succulent aroma, now was making Theo close to throwing up.

"H-hey, Theo, are you okay?"

Theo quickly snapped back to his senses, turning to see both Julia and Hans staring at him in a mix of concern and curiosity. It took Theo several seconds to respond.

"Of course I'm fine! This damn kebab is way too spicy - makes me feel like a damn dragon!"

Theo comically stuck out his tongue, fanning it in an over dramatic way, eliciting a laugh from Julia and a roll of the eyes from Hans.

"Told you to get mild, boy - It's better to have too few spices than to make your food inedible."

Theo laughed, scratching his head in an apologetic fashion as he did so.

Internally, it was a crushing blow. Karma was very close to Theo - they were the tank and the healer, the backbone of a successful raiding party. More than that, Karma was an acquaintance - a confidant in the incredible burden and responsibility that weighed on Theo's consciousness. He understood the weight of a human life - he had been responsible for saving at least one. And... other than Theo, he was the only one who came to Kajin's funeral.

Theo didn't let Hans or Julia know. Theo wouldn't be able to enjoy the festival in the slightest, but he would not ruin it for them, especially after dragging them out to celebrate. This was why he had done it, after all - he poured so many points into acting in order to act a certain way believably. The words of the GM quickly echoed in Theo's mind, and he was now unable to ignore them as well as he once could.

A double mask... very funny. Remove the masks and will you finally show your true face? Make your decision quickly, for in Talrae, you may find yourself being melded into your mask... permanently.

Theo would have grimaced, but he was unable to - his acting skill stopped him from revealing the discomfort he found in his companion's death. It served it's purpose - it was a mask, one that was far more appealing than the liar that hid behind it.

---

Summary:
Buys Solace Blade (150 Renn Spent)
Extensional crisis/Philosophical BS (Yay!)

If Alisea was surprised by Uchaka’s question, she didn’t show it. Her mind clicked into magic-study mode without a pause. “Nether Push and Nether Pull are good spells for combining. Ever since learning them this feeling that they should be paired with another effect has been following me. Maybe combining Pull with a simple Bolt will give you something like an electric fishing line? Or Push with the Plasma Burst to repel enemies near you?”

”Sounds like a decent enough idea,” Uchaka stated, before her analytical side began to kick in, ”But I don’t think that will be very damaging, I could do Chain Lightning combined with Nether Push to deal far more damage while sending multiple enemies back.” Uchaka began to inspect the stats of the spells, still likely judging just how effective a combined spell like this would be in the long run. However, she also had to judge her play style and what she wanted to do with the future as far as building her stats. She let out a long hum as she began to run the numbers in her mind.

“For more damage, I would suggest the fire discipline. And a powerful Intelligence attribute, of course. Do you have any equipment for boosting that yet?” Alisea asked quietly.

”Unfortunately, I don’t have access to the fire discipline currently,” Uchaka informed her friend before looking over at her intelligence stat. It was decent for a mage at her level, ”I’m sitting at about twenty-two intelligence, but I don’t have any items to increase it.”

“Well, this is a festival; maybe we can find something!”

It was then that River turned back to share his idea. Alisea stared blankly until she realized he was still looking for spell combinations. His idea for a single, powerful, opening burst was nice--it would have been a good contribution as soon as he thought of it--but he had spent too long trying to make it more complex. Whether he mistook how long the window for Overload was, or he just didn’t understand the lengthy cooldown a dual-discipline area spell would have, or maybe he even misunderstood how Energize worked--whether any or all of the above, River’s idea for chaining wouldn’t work. Alisea could see that, but after a moment of contemplation decided not to speak of it. River wasn’t a mage, so he would never be in a place where he might try it himself; thus, correcting him would create no profit, only negative emotion.

Instead, Alisea smiled. Kindly. “That sounds like something to look into. Say, River? Are you spending the day with Xenos?”

“I hadn't actually thought about that. Not too sure that he is actually going to be going, been a tad preoccupied lately. I may just look to see what special event items the game has to offer, maybe buy an outfit for Pots here to help boost her stats.” His voice trailed off for a moment as he thought to himself. "Maybe I can work on a dual spell with more time too. How many can you make again? How does one even determine the mana cost and such? Uh sorry, so what plans do you two have for this event?”

Alisea glanced over to Uchaka, curious if she would answer him.

”You can make any amount of spells as you want, but you can only have one active at a time,” Uchaka yawned, before looking over to River, [/b]”I don’t have much to do. Tend to stay alone.”[/b]

Alisea couldn’t help but smile at her understatement. “Then this is the perfect chance. We can all go look at the stalls together!”

River was shocked at the sudden invitation. Realizing that although he looked forward to this event, he hadn't actually made any plans for it. ”Sure! I wouldn't mind tagging along if that's alright with you two.” he said with a polite shrug and smiling nod.

Uchaka simply shrugged away her indifference, she looked over to Alisea and gave a light smile at the prospect of doing some shopping during the festival. However, she did have her reservations about it, knowing that she would be treated differently than her friend.

“Then off we go!” Alisea decided.

She led the way through a few streets. They stopped to look at several stalls containing what she could only describe as novelty souvenirs--pricey and without function. They were useful for driving the conversation for a bit longer, though. Between shops she would ask Uchaka about her plans for her character build: spells, other disciplines she was most interested in, stat balance. Behind the skull mask, it turned out, was a blossoming Battlemage.

Not surprisingly, a number of dark glares followed their party. The red tag was far too prominent, and with only ten days experience most people’s emotions about death were still raw. Alisea made it clear she didn’t care about those stares, or the people sending them, in the slightest. So long as nobody hassled her group, she had no reason to acknowledge those people existed. Not when Uchaka was far more interesting to her right now.

After two streets and nearly an hour, Alisea adopted a contemplative look. “Uchaka, our guild is planning a dungeon raid after this festival. We leave tomorrow morning. Would you join us? We found in the last dungeon that some monsters are easier dealt with by magic, so another mage would be a tremendous help.”

”A dungeon raid, eh? Would the others be fine with a red tag joining along?” Uchaka asked, raising an eyebrow behind her mask as Alisea extended the rather surprising invitation. The to-be battle mage was definitely skeptical of the idea but she would consider it since she never actually gets to do this kind of stuff often with people.

“It will be fine!” Alisea assured her. “You heard the big man this morning: all previous cases of manslaughter are pardoned.” She couldn’t entirely keep the ironic tone out of her voice, but she quickly added to make sure Uchaka knew here jab was intended at Aramo, “Any minute now the system will catch up with his majesty’s magnanimous decree.” Alisea softened her grin from jesting to friendly. “I plan to see Reylan later; I can confirm then. We do want your help, though. Mage-power is unparalleled, you know.”

Uchaka thought the offer over once more in her head before giving a slight nod to Alisea, ”Very well, I’ll tag along. No doubt it’ll be to my benefit.” While her comment was selfish, it was still an acceptance from someone who had really only had negative experiences in the the game. She tucked her arms into her cloak and simply looked back ahead.

As the throuple continued their way through the streets and stands, River listened in to their conversation while browsing the items on sale. He had been met with many questions by Alisea as well about how certain garments looked on her, him, or in general. ”Is this what Reylan and them do each day? Hows does he manage the energy for it all...unless...is he also?” River pushed the thought away as it would be indecent to ask, especially of his guild leader. "Say...I know I'm kinda a last minute addition but...would you guys mind if we made a stop to a certain shop? I'm looking for clothes for Pots.”

“Oh? Not at all. Lead the way,” Alisea answered happily. “Pots would look cute with some ribbons. Or are you imagining a more fearsome, battle-ready appearance?”

River looked down at his feet attempting to hide the embarrassment on his face. “I was hoping...that we could get matching outfits, Pots and I. Sorcerer's Shoes and the Mages Cloak to be more exact, as I don’t think she can wield a weapon.”

A sudden idea showed on Alisea’s face--that enlightened look a person gives when they’ve put all the pieces of a puzzle together in their head. “Do you already know a place? Because I think I know one…”

"I was hoping to find the vendor who sold me my outfit...trouble is I can’t remember who it was. So why don't we go ahead to yours, might even be the same shop.” River beamed with a bright smile.

With a reciprocal smile and a nod, Alisea led the party away from the central streets--and away from most of the crowd. They soon stopped in front of Nina’s shop. Hanging on the door was a sign announcing it was “Closed for the festival,” but another sign hung beneath directing them toward the central plaza and promising they would find the shopkeep at a temporary booth somewhere along the way.

The sign proved true; Nina had set up a small stand and packed it with as many clothes as possible. Racks circled its girth, hung with clothes pressed together like morning commuters on a Japanese subway. Crates were stacked beneath everything--the racks, her table, the eaves behind the stall, and even beneath Nina herself when they arrived. She jumped up when she recognized potential customers approaching.

Alisea was mildly vexed to see she had once again donned her cloth cat ears.

“Welcome to meowr shop, dear customers! What myight I do to help meu today?”

“Hi, Nina. I thought you were done with the catgirl act?” Alisea asked, trying not to be blatantly pointed about it.

Confusion swept over the shopkeep’s features; then a flash of understanding lit up her face like a beacon. “Oh, the myiss from last Meusday! I thought about it a lot, meu see, and I realized what I myost want to do is myake all myy custumewrs happy! And they are! Myost of these crate are empty already!” she declared, beaming with pride.

“Is that...so?” Alisea sighed helplessly. “If that makes your customew...mers happy, then good for you. Well!” she suddenly exclaimed, changing the topic as quickly as she could. “My friend here, River, hopes you can tailor some articles to fit his tamed beast.” Alisea turned back to the Trainer, gesturing for him to step forward and conduct his business. While he was doing that, she could look over some more of the outfits.

" Do you happen to have a Cloak of the Magi or Sorcerer's shoes?”he looked around as he asked, attempting to see if he could spot the items in order to hasten the transaction. Rivers eyes kept darting back to the sales woman and her attire, he didn't recall there being a cat race in the character creation screen, perhaps it was an NPC exclusive race.

”Meow let me see. Ah! Myy apawlogies myister but I don't have that cloak. Meowever I do have a pair of the shoes in stock," She pulled out a pair of sorcerer's shoes from a box and placed them onto the stands counter to show them to River.

"Perfect! I'll take the pair thank you!” he said as he handed over the Renn and added the shoes into his inventory. River spared no time after the purchase, he opened up his menu and found the trainers pet section where they could add equipment. He quickly equipped the item to Pots and watched as he stats went up. "Not only do you look even more adorable with those little shoes, but we now have an extra use of your attacks for battle.”

An entire half-rack was taken up by bright, white cloaks trimmed with golden thread. It was immediately eye-catching, and Alisea had to pull one off to see what it was. She found in her hands a bright cloak, its colors as pure as those of the rest of this festival commemorating the sun, the source of light itself. She quickly waved Uchaka over to her. “What do you think of this?” she asked eagerly.

”It’s fashionable I guess, but does give any good bonuses to any stats? I wouldn’t purchase it if the stats aren’t good enough,” Uchaka said, analyzing the cloak with a keen eye, wanting to minmax any items that she came into contact with.

“Ranged damage reduction. Reylan forbade me from the frontline, so it will do me well.”

”That’s it? The least it could do is boost up magical damage if it’s going to look all flashy.” Uchaka sighed her disappointment.

“If only a cloak would,” Alisea replied with a laugh. She took the cloak to Nina to purchase. The young shopkeep smiled happily, handing over the cloak as well as a medallion with the sun emblazoned on it. “For myour wonderful support!” Nina explained. The magess thanked her, then turned to her companions.

“Thank you both. The day has already been so much fun! I did promise Aster and Reylan, though, so I shall excuse myself here.”

---



Solace Festival is only getting good as the sun went down over Genesis. Drinking and eating still continued, a few already too drunk to be conscious but the rest just getting buzzed up to the right level. Fireworks have started up in the nightsky, bright flashes of colorful explosions lighting up the evening as if were midday.

Chari found the Solace Festival to be quite frankly one of the most enjoyable days so far in this death game. She certainly had her fair share of the alcoholic drinks, often competing with macho guys who thought they could out-drink her. The amount of Renn she earned through the small bets were not much but it fun to simple wipe the grin off all their faces. It was forever since she actually gotten to party hard and she was going to go all out today.

Loosign herself to the beat of the music and enveloping her in the atmosphere of the festival made her decision to skip the meeting held earlier seem all that more worth it. She and authority didn't tend to get along much anyway. Chari guessed she was sort of using the guild as a means to explore more of this game and access to greater thrills. Honestly she might have gotten a little too 'wild' in her dancing, as she received some cat-calls from a few male players later on that evening. They were annoying but she was able to brush them aside since she was having fun. In truth, she doubted she had spent a hour today actually sober.

Despite receiving the message from her new guildmaster, she ignored it in favor of throwing her cares away. The special event items being sold at the vendors were just too tempting to skip. She ended up buying the helmet and cap, since she doubted the other items would ever be useful to her. The sky soon went dark and, as she expected, the party really started to kick off. Fireworks colored the moonlit sky that Chari watched with fascination.



It perhaps wasn't the most eloquent of messages, but she was somewhat under the influence. The party scene made her crave...something more exciting. She had to pinch herself at that thought, THAT was something she promised never to do ever again. They had already ruined her life once, in many more ways than one. Maybe...just maybe she would lay off the drinking as she waited for Dubstepp to respond. This wasn't the kind of day she would like to forget.

Health: 975/1300
Mana: 1482/1900
Renn: 733 Renn
STATs Tree:


Dubstepp chose to wake up early despite his wishes. He was reluctant to do so given so much has transpired in a few days. Joining a guild was a huge decision on his part. Not even a whole 24 hours went by and he began getting group messages. He guessed this was a perk of being within a guild. Dubstepp just pressed a few buttons and took the messages down. The festival was not as lively as he suspected, but there was a lot of eagerness.

More than likely, a lot of players must have been satisfied with this event. This mostly takes the attention off of being in a virtual prison. Dubstepp observed the people around him. All of them had their own little stories and their own little tragedies. Players needed this festival to take off the weight of killed players and the inevitable grasp of death. Dubstepp took a seat on a bench and looked up at the artificial sky. "Inevitable? Did the GameDev really give us players a shot at winning?"

Dubstepp shook his head and walked over to some vendors selling some interesting items. He was running out of money after not receiving any increases in Renn. The prices only reminded him that he was going to need to visit a dungeon or complete a quest. Saving that girl from a few days ago did grant him a nice stack of coins. Dubstepp received a free medallion and did not stop there. He bought a helmet and cloak since they seemed the most useful for someone of his class.

Ding! Dubstepp moaned at the sight of another message. "It's from the guild leader. I hope this is not a order or anyth..." The trainer opened the message and began reading the contents. He coughed once he read the most shocking part of the letter.

"Legion of the Wolf. It pains me to say this but...Karma was murdered. I am not sure when, but this bastard named Valentine is responsible. His name tag is red, possibly black now, and if you see it anywhere...bring him in. We will find him and he WILL answer for his crime."

Dubstepp reread the message several times. He blinked a couple of times; the news took him by immediate surprise. ”Kar...ma. He called me an a dumb ass.” He stated, trying to picture the player’s face. Like Reylan, Karma happened to become of the first players that Dubstepp met on the first day. Though a falling out did occur between the both. They talked less after there dispute.

Dubstepp looked away from the message and around himself. Everyone continued on throughout their day. It was an unpleasant feeling. Dubstepp massaged his shoulder, he wasn’t sure how to feel. There was a sense of eeriness in his stomach. Dubstepp only had just joined the Wolves and a murdered occured less than 24 hours. ”Does this mean I could potentially be a target as well?”

He read the message again. ”...Answer for his crime.” The last part of the sentence put a weird taste in Dubstepp’s mouth. He wondered if Reylan was considering murder. Even then, the guild master issued for players to capture or attack this individual. This was turning into some borderline dangerous thinking. The musician pinched the stem of his nose; he understood Reylan’s feelings, but…

Dubstepp did not want to think about this. Ding! The trainer noticed another message inside his inbox. ”What the hell? How did I get a personal message?” Dubstepp does not have many friends in this universe. According to his first few friends, one of them disappeared, one of them turned former and then dead, and another has just issued a hunt for the murderer of said friend. ”Well, it could be…” Dubstepp laughed at the sender’s name.

"Hey there buddy! I'm watching the fireworks right now, want to meet up and party? I'm in the city center right now."
-𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒾

Dubstepp remembered Chari at the diner. Her personality was certainly...fun. ”What an odd girl. Didn’t she received the message about the murder?” Dubstepp considered declining the invitation, but he hesitated. The musician figured this would probably be the best option to take his mind off of the murder and to further his friendship with the guild members. There was nothing he could at the moment to help with the investigation of Valentine.

He saved Reylan’s message for future use. Something told him he was going to need it. Also, the murder news did happen to be his first letter as a guild member. Dubstepp then replied to Chari’s message, ”Sure. Be there soon. I’m close by.”

Dubstepp used 320 Renn.
Dubstepp obtained Solace Medallion (Free)
Dubstepp obtained Solace Cloak [170 Renn].
Dubstepp obtained Solace Helmet [150 Renn].
Dubstepp has 413 Renn left.



Dubstepp chose to enjoy the Solace Festival. He thought about the idea of being in a guild and his chances of defeating the game. Not a moment later, a message concerning Karma’s death interrupted his shopping. Reylan sent out a group message declaring that former friend, Karma, was murdered by a player named Valentine. Dubstepp felt worried that joining a guild might have brought more trouble than it's worth. The musician accepted Chari’s invite to further take his mind off of the message.

---

It was a very strange phenomena - almost every time Theo heard about the death of one of his guild mates, the whole world seemed to stand still - unmoving, frozen in time, and stagnant. A disgusting, foreign feeling arose in his stomach, a feeling that he quickly realized was despair. Every time he realized the death of a guild member, he always vomited, his body seemingly trying to rid itself of the emotion.

Not this time.

Maybe it was because he was consciously resisting it - he couldn't' vomit in front of Hans and Julia for no reason, especially after portraying such a positive self-image to them. Maybe it was all his acting skill, or maybe the rosary was playing a bigger part than he initially expected - he wasn't wearing it when he learned of Kajin's or Paralyze's death, and he had gotten sick. In the end, it really didn't matter. Karma was dead - not from an accident or an enemy, but a player.

It was much easier to ignore the feeling that was building up, the nausea. His hands weren't even shaking, like they had done so often before. He would feel terrible for hiding his emotions once he took off the rosary in his room - but he'd have time to mourn later.

The festival passed with similar fun activities that the trio had experienced before the news arrived - trying different foods, playing the occasional game set up in a stall, or sometimes simply sitting and watching the crowds of people and NPCs go about their business.

Eventually, the sky grew dark, and the trio made their way to the gardens, where a small crowd had gathered to watch the fireworks go off in relative secludedness. The town square by this point was packed to the brim, and there was little space to walk, let alone sit down - Theo found a space for the group to sit down, and they simply watched the fireworks explode in the sky, lighting up the city like the sun had only a few hours earlier. Hans was drinking from a large mug, and was more than a little inebriated. The lines on his face seemed not as deep, and he was smiling and laughing, his face red from the alcohol. Every hair on his head were perfectly life-like, to the point where Theo couldn't imagine the work that the game had taken to develop.

Julia had not drank much by comparison, simply staring at the fireworks, which exploded into hundreds of colors and in detailed patterns that would almost be impossible for the real world. The night air was warm against Theo's skin, and upon closing his eyes, Karma's death, and the deaths of hundreds seemed to slip Theo's mind.

He was wrong.

This wasn't just a bunch of ones and zeroes. No way in hell. The grass gently rubbing his feet, the crisp sound of the fireworks exploding, Han's laughter, Julia's soft hand covered by his own, the warm night air - it was real. They were people, real people he could understand and be himself with, who wouldn't mock him for the way he dressed or acted, or the places he had lived. They could be friends, like Joe and Vinny were his only friends in the real world.

Theo couldn't tell if he was deluding himself or not, but he didn't care. He simply enjoyed the moment.

---

Hans needed help getting back to the inn, and once Theo and Julia made sure he was safe, Theo went to his room. It was already 12 PM, and just like he expected, removing the rosary caused the disgust to well up once again. It took a great deal of willpower not to get sick - Theo simply laid down, turned off the light, and focused on the fun he had.

He only thought of performing Karma's and Paralyze's funerals when he was close to unconsciousness, and resigned himself to do so once he had received some money from tomorrows dungeon run.

---

Summary:
Watch the fireworks with the gang

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The white cape fit beautifully over her violet gown. She left the clasp at her neck loose, letting the cloak fall open to show off the wonderful dress Reylan had selected for her. Smiling with self-confidence, Alisea flicked open her menu to ask Reylan where she might find him and Aster. A message from the guildmaster was already waiting for her. She smiled, wondering if he had finally taken the initiative to meet up.

Her smile vanished, quickly turning to a sharp frown as she read those words. Valentine. If he was in town, she would destroy him. If he wasn’t in town, he was out hearing an owl call his name. His days were marked.

She already knew Reylan had spoiled his day with this. It was too much to hope he was still with Aster. A message to the swordswoman confirmed she was with only Kyo. Alisea started to ask Reylan where he was, but her fingers stopped. Wherever he was, he was trying to be there alone.

‘He chose not to come to me. Not to Aster. To anyone?’ The affront left a small sting, but at the same time she couldn’t claim any surprise on this one. Maybe ten days was too short a time to trust people enough to lean on them, even in life-and-death situations. She certainly wouldn’t.

For now she left him be. He had abandoned Aster to attend the festival alone; Alisea wouldn’t leave that unremedied. She met up with her friend, her favorite swordswoman, and the pair took Kyo to a few of the places Alisea had seen which Aster hadn’t yet. When Kyo was particularly enraptured by a stand selling mobiles—sun, moon, and stars orbiting about a model Genesis—the two women spoke in low, serious voices about what had happened. Aster didn’t know much; Reylan had simply deposited the girl with her and rushed off, his face frighteningly serious. Now she understood why.

The shadows on the cobblestone were growing ever longer, and the magess couldn’t help but notice Kyo’s eyes fluttering shut and her feet shuffling wearily. She scooped the small girl up in her arms. “Looks like someone is ready for bed. Come on; we can tuck you in. Will you be fine, Aster?”

The swordswoman sent them off with a wave and a smile, promising she wouldn’t be too far behind. Alisea carried their ward back to Eden’s Hall, moving slowly with such a finely-grown young lady in her arms. Kyo was asleep when she finally pushed the door open and entered their rented home.

Reylan was there. He was the only one; even the staff was out for the festivities. He sat alone, in the corner, his head on the table. Alisea couldn’t be certain he wasn’t asleep, too. The good news was he had on a bright, new cape that matched her own. The bad news was, well, he was here alone in a dark room at a time he should have been able to celebrate.

And there was one insect that was responsible. He would pay with his life.

Alisea softly tread across the wooden floor. “Hey,” she called softly when she was near. As his head lifted, proving he was conscious (at least right now), she continued with a soft, teasing voice. “You left your daughter with someone else so you could come to a bar? Really, Papa.”

Reylan had told himself he was going to figure out strategy but instead he simply sat at his table, in the same corner he always did. It was not long before Alisea and Kyo came in that he had been tempted to break his personal promise of not drinking. Despite the personal hell his thoughts were putting him through, a brief but weak laugh escaped him “Yeah. I guess I did.” The sound of defeat rang throughout his quiet words, covered arms crossing over the table “I can’t even look after my own guild.” Misery soaked his breath only thinly veiled by a poor attempt to hide it.

Alisea was stunned. His blunt, gloomy reply left her speechless. For once, her smile failed her; she couldn’t muster even the appearance of mirth. She needed several moments to gather her wits. Kyo shifted on her shoulder, reminding her there was another need to see to first. “Come. Help me tuck her in first,” Alisea commanded.

He seemed to suddenly realize Kyo was sound asleep “Oh, right.” The expression shifted from light confusion to a blank stare as he stood.

As they climbed the stairs, Alisea tried to keep even the faintest smile on her features. “She really wore herself out today. Every new stall was another discovery, even the ones with wares exactly like the last. She really is a strange girl; she can be so calm and quiet, but then she becomes intensely curious and inquisitive.” They entered the room Aster and Alisea shared. The magess laid Kyo down in the center of the large bed, letting Reylan handle the covers. Stepping back, she smiled warmly down at the sleeping child. “The more time I spend with her, the more I wonder if she can really be some simple piece of programming.”

Reylan shared that same sentiment as he rolled the cover under Kyo’s weight “Perhaps she is more…”It was a tired thought at best.

Alisea glanced sidelong at the archer. “We should speak back in your room.”

Silver eyes glimmered gently with the moonlight that peaked through the blinds as he looked down at Kyo. “Yes, that's probably best.” He left the room as silently as he could and lead Alisea to his room. Once the door opened, A single blank piece of canvas save for a dot of green paint laid across his desk. A failed attempt at self-remedy. “You got the message then.” He stated plainly, coldly as he wandered further into the room avoiding direct eye contact. His earlier rage had left him too exhausted.

Alisea sat on the edge of his bed, patting the space beside her to invite him to sit as well. “I did. There is a new monster we need to hunt. When did you learn of it?”

He simply sat down next to her, lacking the energy to do anything else “He slipped me a letter...said it was...a ‘gift’. Inside was his confession and…” he opened his menu up and retrieve the painted ring that served as their guild marker “..this.” He held it in his open palm, his hand slightly shaking “He left before I managed to read it. The whole time he had this...smirk, like he was enjoying the anticipation.” His other hand fell to his side, and tightly gripped the bed sheet.

Alisea twisted to face Reylan squarely. She reached up with both hands and cupped his cheeks. Her eyes met with his, and for a silent moment she just bathed in their silver hue. What words could answer him? It was too late for that. Maybe if she had killed this Valentine before he started trouble, everything would have been fine; but now killing him would only-!

Wordlessly she pulled him toward her, pulling him in where she could wrap both arms around him. Alisea cradled the archer’s head against her chest, her own head atop his so he couldn’t see her face. She didn’t dare let him see the expression she was making right now. It wasn’t a smile; it wasn’t beautiful at all. It was the face she would only make when she was alone, after suffering through a dinner with Uncle Simeon, or Aunt Vera, or Grandpa Averly.

“Were you alone?” she asked aloud. “All this time?”

Reylan didn’t pull away, or resist, as Alisea comforted him. The warmth of her body thawed his cold shield, and he began to weep slowly despite trying to hold the tears in. He tried to be strong and be a person worthy of being followed, but right now he was mess. He couldn’t help but feel responsible...there had to have been something he could’ve done. “I was. I...I needed time to think,” he said quietly.

Alisea ran her hand over his head, letting the archer’s pale hair (it felt as wonderful as it looked!) run over and between her fingers. “Can you tell me what you thought? All of it?” It was asking for a lot of trust, for him to bare a portion of his soul; but if ever there was a time Alisea expected such trust to be placed, it was now.

Reylan’s chest tightened at the question with a lump forming in his throat. He struggled to even begin to answer that. The thought of opening his heart to someone else was...terrifying. However, Alisea was the one he could truly count on for anything “I felt like I failed Karma. Then I wanted to hurt Valentine...bad. I wanted..want him to pay. There must have been something I could've done. I'm a failure as a leader.” He ended with a strong, final statement.

“No.” Alisea couldn’t have said it more strongly even if she shouted. “You have not failed. A captain who lost a soldier in an ambush did not fail, and a king who mourns for his subjects is not a failure. You thought… We thought we were at peace. Now we know. Now we war. Now…”[/color] Alisea left off, and drew in a deep breath. “Now we never stay alone. Two of us, or three-! Why else did we come together if not to be strong together?”

He had been ready for Alisea to tell him he was wrong but he was not prepared for how powerful she stated it. It was impossible even for his feelings to ignore. His silver eyes widened as a sudden realization struck him. This entire time he had the wrong mindset. He had been trying to prevent deaths instead of focusing on protecting people. It was a small distinction but an important one to him.

Karma wouldn't want him to be moping like this, he’d want the bastard to be caught. Valentine would not change him or his beliefs. He felt like a stubborn fool for not coming to Alisea sooner...though this scene...this sensation. It felt almost familiar, like something long lost. Perhaps it was just how close he felt to Alisea right now. “We’ll protect this guild no matter what...right?” He asked her, seeming to pull out a little of his sadness.

“Right.” The Guild. In so many ways it had been a tremendous flop already: it drew in more people, yes, but only to have them throw their lives away and cause Reylan pain. It attracted bad attention, both from troublesome would-be-leaders and even worse psychopaths. But it was important to him now--indeed, Reylan had risen to fill the role she had thrust him into. It was important to Aster, the one who had first suggested they officially join together. And so it was important to Alisea that they keep the Guild safe. But if anyone else went and died, so help her she would murder them herself.

Hearing her confirm it brought some comfort to Reylan. A somber smile slowly grew on his lips. As long as he had this guild...as long as he had Alisea...he could forge a path forward. It felt liberating having someone to turn to and be able to rely on them for support. Another event like Karma’s death might happen but next time...he knew Alisea would be here for him. It was a soothing thought. He still hadn’t budged from the position she had put him in, though he felt like staying until she said otherwise “I’m glad to have you as a friend Alisea…” he stated.

‘Oh dear. The things this boy can say.’ Was he trying to fish for any sign that they might be something more? But Alisea had to discard that as quickly as she thought it; the sincere, earnest Reylan wouldn’t employ guile. Not when he had been so low, especially. But if he was sincere, he was asserting they were friends. After ten days of knowing each other. Had it even been that long? Had it been even longer? She could just as easily say they had known each other all their lives. Why not say he was a friend, then? He was her Mister; the papa that worried too much; guildmaster and leader; then of course he would be a friend.

But what did that mean to him? And what did that mean to her?

Alisea didn’t dare speak aloud again. She simply held him there until they heard Aster’s light footfalls climbing the stairs and walking toward the bedroom the girl’s shared. The disturbance, though soft, was enough to break the spell. Alisea stood, forced one final smile onto her face as she bade Reylan a good night’s rest, and turned to go.


Reylan didn't mind that Alisea said nothing in reply, he was just glad to say it. He would have torn himself up inside all night had she not comforted him. Now he was alone once again but no longer in mindset that had been crippling him. Still, his plans for the Solace Festival were over and he wished to remain in his room for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow he would hold a funeral for Karma and discuss with the guild what do about this new threat. Valentine was not going to stop at just Karma...other players would likely be targeted as well. For that, he had to prepare and protect all that he could.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

River noticed a notification in the bottom left corner of his H.U.D. It was a message in the guild chat from Reylan. How exciting! Just a day in and already there may be fun to be had, perhaps a group day at the festival? Maybe some group training? Rivers eyes began to tear the message and as he did his expression changed completely. What was once a face of wonder and excitement for a new group activity was more contorted into one of horror as he realized the group activity would be avenging a former member.

"Legion of the Wolf. It pains me to say this but...Karma was murdered. I am not sure when, but this bastard named Valentine is responsible. His name tag is red, possibly black now, and if you see it anywhere...bring him in. We will find him and he WILL answer for his crime."

Quickly the chat filled up with River and the rest of the guild discussing the issue. Some seemed so unhinged they were willing to risk their life for this, but that wouldn't make the situation any better. River stood ther contemplating what the best course of action was, and what could be done to help in the future. If Valentine did become a black player then thst would exile him from ther city this would force anyone looking for him to go outside the cities safe zone. We need to inform the new coalition... but wouldn't they just pardon him as it's a past crime? No, this was in the hands of the Legion, we are the only ones who might do something about this.

"Legion, if there are any guild funds we should attempt to get a teleportation ring for each member, that way if we are faced with him we can try to get to safety. Xenos, can you whip up some contraption that can feed the guild members with exact coordinates to each? Thst way we can know where the closest ally is at all times. Aside from that boots of travel may be handy as well, though made for traveling, the extra walking speed can help when running away."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reylan left the inn without a word to anyone, it was vital that he learn anything he could about this Valentine. Thanks to Alisea, he was no longer moping around and was ready to do something. There was one place that came to mind that could have the informatjon he sought....Data Link 66. The guildmaster passed through the crowds watching the fireworks with a determined look in his eyes. He reached their building quickly and he only hoped someone would be inside. The doors were pushed open and he stepped in, looking around as he said "Hello? Is there somebody here?"

"Hmm? Yes?" The young man at the counter who had been dozing off jerked his head up quickly at the sound. He looked sleepy but managed to fix his eyes on Reylan. "What can I do for you?"

A small sense of relief went through him "I need all the information you have on the player; Valentine." He asked with a serious tone. The Legion of the Wolf would not be blind about their biggest threat.

"Information on a player huh.... reckon I heard that name before. Give me a moment." He disappeared behind a set of drapes to what appeared to be the storage of some kind within the building. He returned momentarily with a scroll in his hand. "Yep. I've got a file on him." He opened up the scroll to take a read. "Looks like your boy's got quite the file on him."

It was strange to say but Reylan was relieved. The more his guild knew, the safer they would be. However, he took minor offense to that monster being called his 'boy' "He murdered one of my guild, so I'd like a copy of that scoll." He stated seriously. Surely the guild would forgive if he used the group funds on this vital piece of info.

"Ah. Vendetta." He peered over the scroll a little further before pulling out a fresh scroll with an inked pen. "First I'm going to need your name, any group affiliation you have and reasons for visiting. Guild rules, no one buys or sells without it." He rolled the file he had on Valentine back up. "Also... this is going to cost you quite a bit. A lot of info on here, we've been keeping an eye on this guy for some time now. He was the first PKer in-game afterall."(edited)

The first PKer in-game? That somehow didn't surprise him in the least. However, the fact they were going to charge a lot for something that could determine whether or not someone in his guild gets hurt...it made him just a tad angry "My name is Reylan and I'm the guildmaster for the 'Legion of the Wolf'. Now get give me a price. I have reason to believe he'll attack us again so I want to be prepared." Greed. A killer was loose in Talrae, likely with accomplices, and Data Link 66 wanted to charge a steep price for information about him.

The Data Link member shrugged after jotting down Reylan's information on a separate pad. "3 Golds for his last reported whereabouts and item set. 6 Golds for including his known accomplices."

The indifference of the clerk was upsetting but he had no choice "Very well. Here is 6 gold, I hope this information is accurate." He placed the six gold coins onto the counter, taking from the guild's funds. If they went after Valentine before he went after them, they could prevent any more deaths.

He swept the coins off of the counter, dropping them in some box that was invisible behind the wooden board. "Thank you for your patronage, here's the information you've requested." He handed Reylan the scroll.

Reylan simply nodded in response and left the building, heading back towards the inn placing the scroll in his inventory. As much as he'd like to view it right now, he wanted to get back to his room to review it properly and make a plan. Whatever he came up with, Reylan decided he wanted to be pro-active in dealing with Valentine. It was more risky waiting to see what he would do. Once again, he slipped through the crowds of celebrating people and slipped into the inn which had unintentionally become the guild's temporary home. Valentine was going to learn he was playing a game with the wrong player.

The rustling of the leaves caused by gentle night winds was pleasant to hear. Valentine brushed his fingers across his silver hair, enjoying the sweet cooling sensations across his face. They weren't far from the city at the moment, as he could see its bright yellow lights in some distance. It was another beautiful night, the distance city lights competing with the bejeweled night sky. Behind him were 3 other figures, a Rogue, a Mage and a Swordsman.



"Shame the festival ended at midnight." Psych was the Rogue, armed with several exotic weapons and a thick shortsword. As far as Valentine could tell, he was the most "normal" one of the group, although that wasn't a fair comparision. "I like free stuff. Especially coins. There were too many sillies who decided to get drunk before they spent all their Renn." Psych had been pick-pocketing players all night, making nice profit through his Rogue Class abilities. Not that he was the type to share his wealth with rest of the group that called themselves "Destiny of Life is Death".

To be fair, Valentine didn't mind. The 4 weren't together through friendship or honor and he had a plan to kill every single one of them should he need to. And he was certain that the other 3 had similar plans of their own.



"......" The pale Swordsman silently stared at the fat bag of coins on Vincent's hips. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking, although most would be able to take a gander that it wasn't anything pleasant at any time. The pair of red, expressionless eyes coupled with a chalk-pale skin made her look... sickly. Valentine had already figured out that she was an albino. Thankfully for her, in this VR world her real-life conditions didn't apply, as she was able to walk around in full sunlight with no protections. As if to emphasize her physical appearance, she was wearing a pair of decorative bunny ears, making her look like a humanoid white rabbit. Even though Valentine wasn't quite into furries, he had to admit it was pretty cute. But her cute costume wasn't quite enough to mask her creepy, unnatural aura. The eternally blank face with a pair of soulless eyes that never seemed to blink.



"Hey hey~ Mr. ImSoEdge" Vincent called out to Valentine with a rude nickname. He let it slide, as he wasn't the type to get offended by something so trivial. "So when are we going to get more cute girls in the group~? Rain is cute and all but..." It was obvious to Valentine that Vincent would never break his eternally entertained facade, for he was the type to create his own entertainment if none existed. Vincent leaned in a little closer and pretended to whisper, although the volume was loud enough to obviously reach everyone. "I don't think she likes me." Vincent giggled as he saw the slightest little flinch from Rain in the corner of his eyes.

"Keep moving. We'll find more... to join us soon." Valentine shut down Vincent's attempt to start... something, whatever it was. He could hear a small but distinctively murderous mutter saying something along the lines of how those who doesn't like fun should be ripped. Valentine faintly smiled as he returned the hostile aura with his own. Vincent had his uses and they were cooperating... for now. But Valentine swore to himself that before the game was done he would see Vincent dead before his feet.

---

The Savage Fields, true to its name, seems like a series of gentle hills and plains, very open and spacious. The entrance to the dungeon is marked out by a holographic light display that seemed to have no physical form but is instinctively visible to all players. You can't go beyond the boundaries without first accepting to enter the dungeon. The surrounding area seems to be relatively safe, as only low level critters occupy the the area.

The march from the city took only half a day as The Savage Fields was close to Genesis City and had no real terrain obstacles. Everyone arrives without fatiguing too much, all fresh and ready for some combat.

The room was oppressively quiet. Tension filled the room, weighing on all the gathered players. When everyone had sunk into a seat, Alisea rose from her chair beside Reylan. "Ahem. I should be direct. This is about Karma's murder, and the murderers behind it. We will be going after them, but carefully and in a way that gives them no opportunity to escape.”

Alisea paused to glance around at everyone’s faces, gauging their reactions. A few of the newer faces seemed indifferent; some of the others wore expressions darker than night. “Valentine was the one who made contact with us, but he has three friends. All of them are close to or above level 15. I doubt I have to explain what would happen if one of you tried to go after him alone.” Here Alisea looked at each member, but her gaze lingered a touch longer--and her glare grew more intense--on Shiba.

“As fortune would have it, they were last seen fleeing to the Ravine. We were already planning on traveling that direction to challenge the Dungeon. However, now… We need everyone’s thoughts. As I said, they are four level 15 players. None of us have broken level 10. Reylan and I spoke briefly on this, and if possible we would like everyone to subclass before we confront them so we can fight on more equal footing. This would mean postponing the hunt, my guess being for three days, in favor of intense grinding in a Dungeon. The other option is to gather everyone and march to the Ravine, then try to bring them down through sheer numbers. Finding them will be difficult, and their chances for laying an ambush are high; and even if we meet on level ground, they are all stronger. As I see it, half of us would die.”

Alisea looked around once more. She wanted her words to have a powerful effect. She wouldn’t accept any hot-headed, spur-of-the-moment ideas of vengeance. They weren’t going to rush in unprepared and shouting for justice--and risk Valentine escaping after he killed a few more of them. When they took revenge, they would do so with a guarantee of success. “Those are our thoughts. What are yours?”

Xenos stretched, pleasantly sore from last night, and winced as the pounding in his head came back with a vengeance. It had taken five alarms to make sure he was here on time and he was debating whether or not it was worth it. The tension was palpable and he just didn't want to deal with it. Thankfully, Alisea spoke before he could open his mouth and do literally anything about it. He rested his chin on his arms, squinting past the hangover pain at her.

“We take the time to level. I don’t know about the rest of you but I don’t have a death wish. I would very much like to get out alive. Plus, all the grinding will let me get the new Smithing skill up real quick and I can upgrade most of the group’s armor and weapons real quick after that.”

---

Theo sat quietly, similar to most of the other guild members. He wasn't especially surprised when Alisea delivered the first few words. She and Reylan seemed very close - Theo was guessing that he would probably give her a fairly important role in the guilds leadership structure. Not that Theo cared greatly about that - Dirk wasn't a leader, he was a glue that held people together.

Shaking himself from becoming distracted, Theo refocused on Alisea's actual words. They were thick with emotion, and Theo noticed her body language much more clearly than he would have expected - a prolonged glance towards Shiba, who had been very eager to exact vengeance on Valentine, careful choice of wording in order to maximize impact and the gravity of the situation, and looking around the room to make the audience feel invested. For all Theo knew, she may have been a public speaker before being trapped here. Theo felt his hand tighten around his rosary as the mention of more deaths crossed Alisea's speech.

There were too many deaths already. Far, far too many. And yet, the only one that the guild has recognized thus far was Karma's?

Theo felt slightly sick to his stomach. Now wasn't the time to point it out, and it wasn't his place to accuse the guild of favoritism. That would devalue Karma's death. And no one deserved that.

"I must make my feelings heard - I sympathize with Shiba. We should take out Valentine and his goons as soon as possible, and not give them time to prepare for retaliation. They most likely expect us to train more before fighting them, especially since they are higher level - and postponing our assault will only give them time to get even higher levels, and access to stronger abilities!"

Theo stood, his chair being pushed slightly as he did so.

"The longer we wait, the more chances they will have to commit more atrocities - no one in this game deserves to be killed by another player!"

Did Valentine deserve it? The thought gave Theo pause. How would they incapacitate Valentine and his gang without killing them? And while Theo was definitely resilient, he completely understood his guild mates hesitation to fight against such strong opponents. They lost their only healer, and the fight would endanger many of them - especially since Valentine was a human, and would target the weaker party members.

Dirk would never think of this though. He would only be driven to stop Valentine from committing more crimes. Theo could only find one line of thinking that would allow him to back down.

"However... I didn't know Karma long, but he seemed like a man who hated recklessness. Someone who cherished his allies and didn't want them to be hurt over risky maneuvers." Theo's eyes drifted to Alisea, but he quickly shifted them back. He had forgiven her for that incident, so there was no need to make her feel bad. Especially now.

"If the majority decides to not go after Valentine, I will understand and comply. I'll even admit this... it would be what Karma wanted."

Theo sat down, gazing solemnly at his eggs and toast. He ate a few more bites before drinking some water, his mouth parched after going on a long-winded tangent after the previous day of constant talking.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

River placed a fist towards his mouth and gave a soft cough as though he was clearing his throat. Once Dirk and Xenos had said their pieces he decided it was his turn. "It would be foolish of us to think we could take them out immediately. As You have said, there is a high probability that we will lose around half our members. I don't know about all of you but I don't plan on dying, not on the first floor nor the last. Xenos, can your brilliant mind create a small portable contraption that when activated may expand into a formidable cage? something these players couldn't break out of, or at least not easily. I ask the mage's of this group, can we create a new spell using Nether Push and Nether Pull together in order to make a sort of gravitational cell to temporarily hold our captures while Xenos tosses his at them? I feel as though if we can paralyze them with this new spell then it will afford us the time it would take for Xenos to go around capturing each one with this new contraption. Ofcourse all of this means we would need the levels from grinding, though we shouldn't be reckless with the grinding either. Once all the members have been captured, maybe we can find a way to do a mass teleportation to bring them straight into the city and delivered in the hands of the Council. Aside from that don't forget...they're choice to hide inside the floor dungeon was for a good reason. We will have more than just them attacking us...and we aren't aware how many of them may be trainers who control monsters in that dungeon as well. I vote we grind with caution which will afford us the time to create and innovate to our advantage."

Health: 975/1300
Mana: 1482/1900
Renn: 733 Renn
STATs Tree:

Dubstepp's eyes kept slowly shutting, only to be opened in a quick fashion. His body expressed exhaustion and uninterest. This is the earliest he's woken up; the musician was beginning to see the responsibility of being a guild member. He barely ate his breakfast due to his tiredness. His eyes were directed to whoever was speaking at the moment. Looking at everyone made Dubstepp feel slightly uncomfortable.

It seemed Karma meant a great deal to these individuals. Dubstepp was conflicted because he was not in a state of mourning. The trainer did not feel vengeful or pissed off about what had occurred. His face showed only drowsiness while the others demonstrated lost.

Yawning, he opened up his menu briefly and discreetly. He began typing a personal message. Sure it could have been written after the meeting, but he believed the sooner, the better. Dubstepp wrote to one of the members suggesting reckless retribution last night in the guild chat, Shiba. The trainer did not know of the individual, but this might be a good time to create some bonds.

Dubstepp wrote: "Hey, if you're still thinking of going Sherlock and leading your own investigation of Valentine, I have no quarrels. I would like to help though. Two heads are better than one. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone if that's the path you are choosing."

Dubstepp submitted the email and appeared more alert, hoping that no one witnessed him passing a "note." He heard the last person spoke and coughed to gather everyone's attention. "Are they truly that powerful? We only have their level numbers to go. Their weaknesses and strengths are unknown, as well as their fighting capability. As I remember, Karma was a healer. Those classes don't fare well in close combat or even against a one on one battle. This doesn't really tell us anything about Valentine if he struggled or not. We might have a better chance given our classes are more offensive, which could very well Valentine."

Dubstepp adjusted his hat a bit to the right side. "Do we at least know if they have any wants or goals? My concern is that the rest of us are targets now which suggests why? If not, then why only Karma? There's no indicator if they are going to strike us again. I say we have some time to grind before they come to a conclusion if they want to murder another one of us."



Dubstepp sent a message to Shiba regarding a self-investigation of Valentine. He felt uncomfortable given that his feelings are opposite to those of the other guild members. The musician spoke about his opinion. Valentine's defeat over Karma was an easy one. Does this say a lot of fighting capibility? Are the others next? These questions are on the back of Dubstepp's mind.

---

Steven wasn't really supposed to be in this meeting. But now that he was unable to separate from his college friend's grasp ever since they both met, he was dragged into the meeting. He hadn't asked for the opportunity to join the guild yet, but his presence would be noticed sooner or later, so he may not need to speak up than necessary.

Just like yesterday, he wore the grand white fancy suit and cloak to the meeting, along with a long musket hanging behind his back. He was mostly a background character throughout the whole ordeal, standing behind Xenos, the mysterious white glasses only contributed to his seeming absent aura, silently hearing everyone making their opinions heard. The atmosphere changed multiple times, as people were in debate over some sort of murder. Player murder. Presumably, and almost definitely, of someone within the guild. Steven quietly assessed the situation. It appeared that the murder was committed by a, or multiple, high level players. And they were residing in the dungeon, all silently waiting for their opportunity to strike at a vulnerable player.

Debates tensed. Most people appeared to be the cautious player, as they preferred to be absolutely sure to be able to face this Valentine guy first. There was one guy who thought about going after him though. He was not wrong with his opinions though. Whereas the others were progressing, they were also progressing as well. And with the knowledge that they reached level 15 before any of the guild members here could reach 10, meant that they could have a good grinding spot, but can basically grind a lot faster than Steven, Xenos or any other guild members can. And everyday meant that any players could die to their hands.

Personal view on the situation? Steven did not fully agree with any sides. He knew he needn't draw any necessary attention to him, but this seemed like something that required proper assessment. And every opinions mattered. Having processed his thoughts, Steven made his step up from behind the guild's tinker and raised his index finger, trying to grab everybody's attention.

"If I may have a word."

Just like how he practiced to defend his PhD thesis, he wasn't shy to speak in public, though his position in the guild right now may give this man a little bit of intimidation. But he swallowed all of that and hid his own fear behind the thick pair of glasses as he made his argument known.

"I am not a part of the guild yet, but I figure I should make my opinions heard on this matter." Steven said. "As far as I know, these guys are residing in a dungeon together, and is a lot higher levelled than us."

He pushed his glasses up a bit as he addressed. "Normally, I'd be on the cautious side and grind carefully, but have we considered that he reached level 15 before us. That there is a chance that he knows how to level up faster than a normal player could. So that no matter how quickly we grind, he is faster than us. Like this man says." He looked at the man who agreed to going after Valentine. "He is not going to wait for us to level up. Unless he is a masochist. But..."

He placed his fingers on his chin. "Going after him wouldn't be a good idea either. To go after a group of high levelled player, we need almost absolute knowledge of their capabilities, position and routine. If we go there and make ourselves passive to their ambush, then we are dead to every last man. We need to be on the offensive the majority of the time, or the very least the element of surprise. If possible, but unlikely I would say, apprehend them one by one, separately. But if we decides to go after them now, then they must be facing away from us."

"My argument for the matter is: lay low and collect more information before making our move." He didn't know how far the sense of justice and vengeance for this Karma guy could take these guys, but in this situation, personal feelings are not allowed. Only careful analysis.

"But feel free to ignore this player's opinions if you don't see fit." He concluded, but did not step down. He wanted to see their reactions. Because this could very much affect him directly if he decided to join the guild.

Alisea gave the stranger a nod, acknowledging his contribution. "Thank you, for coming and for offering your opinion. It helps to have a less... impassioned analysis of the situation." Alisea took another deep breath, organizing her thoughts and the thoughts everyone else had expressed.

"First issue: them leveling faster than us. You all know as well as I that we have been lax in our efforts to grow quickly. We favored ease to avoid mental fatigue or trauma. If we intend to out-level Valentine's group, we will gather several days' worth of supplies and camp out at a Dungeon--or better, inside a Dungeon as Valentine is probably doing, as that eliminates the risk of ambush by other players. We will spend as much time as we can going through it, again and again, until our health and mana are unable to support another run-through. Then we rest for the night to replenish mana, heal up, and begin again. Doing this, we may not grow past them; but as long as we can quickly reach level 15, we can subclass. That alone will do a lot to increase our chances of survival."

"Second issue: information. As Dubstepp said, we know next to nothing about them and their abilities. Valentine is a Lancer, subclass Reaper. The other three could be anything. If we give it some time, information about Valentine's associates will be discovered. People who saw them buying skills or equipment; players who witnessed them in battles; maybe even the NPCs they interacted with--if we offer to buy information, any of these sources may step forward. Again, though, that will take time."

"Third issue: capturing them. As River has made clear, we lack any real means to catch criminals. If we go after them right away, it will become a fight to the death--unless you think they will willingly surrender. Even if we did catch them, we have no way to hold them. The city has the means, but that would require NPCs acknowledging them as criminals, and neither you nor I can guarantee that. Without equipment, facilities, or authority, what can we do?" Alisea paused to let that question hang in the air for a heavy moment. Then: "Someone who might be able to hold them, though...is Aramo."

The man leading the establishment of old-world principles. Even just the name should prove a reminder of the five rules he had declared yestermorn. If it did come down to killing, their guild would have to bear the consequences now that someone was establishing law. On the other hand, if they sought out and received his cooperation, they would have greater forces and legal support. But that, too, might not happen for ten days--the day they would gather and likely establish the guidelines for policing among the players.

Reylan decided that he had remained quiet long enough during this meeting. Having heard a strong opinion from almost everyone in the guild, he was ready to make a decision on their next course of action. Asking for Alisea to be the speaker for this meeting was a good idea and allowed him to take everyone's opinions and consider them closely. He had been the only one to have actually met with Valentine face-to-face but even just that one time was enough for Reylan to consider him a psychopath. The utter enjoyment on his face as it was revealed he murdered Karma...just imagining it was enough to boil his blood. Admittedly, he already made a few assumptions about Valentine and his crew but without any evidence there were simple educated guesses and nothing more.

He took a deep breath before speaking out to his guild "Thank you all for voicing your thoughts on this serious matter and thank you Alisea for bringing the key issues up. There are a total of nine of us in the guild with two others invited to this meeting. Despite the numerical advantage, they have accessed to higher level abilities and the benefits of a sub-class making direct confrontation difficult. I believe our best hope in taking them down with the least amount of losses would be to gather more information, get our sub-classes, and work with Aramo or another guild to trap them." He stated with the upmost certainly "Today was planned to be the day we head out into another dungeon...and we are going to stick to that plan. I do not believe I have told you all of this, but Valentine personally sought me out to deliver a letter stating he...killed Karma. He made it very clear that it would not be the last time we see him. It was foolish to believe the monsters in the game would be the biggest threat." A flare of passion entered his speech.

Reylan collected himself before speaking further "Going back to what Alisea said, I think it would be a good idea to spend some of the money we got from the dungeon in Hill's sorrow to mount a dungeon expedition where we spend several days clearing a dungeon. We have enough that buying a week's worth of food and water should not be an issue, especially if we hunt a few monsters outside the dungeon. I suggest we head to the Savage Fields dungeon and make a base camp near the start of the dungeon. I will purchase a few tents for the stay and anything else we need. I also wish to extend an invitation to our two guests here if they would like to go with us." He finished saying looking at Uchaka and Stephen with accepting eyes.

“Okay so dude I get you have the whole regal, formal, polite thing going on but sit down.” Xenos muttered to Stephen and kicked out a chair. “Fuck, why didn’t I go mage? Coulda sub-classed into alchemist and made a hangover cure because whoever designed this shitty game made hangovers a damned thing.” Xenos listen to the rest of the group with his face buried in his arms. Thankfully everyone felt that spending some time preparing was the smarter choice. Thank goodness because if they decided to charge in head first, Xenos would have been the first one out the door. He wasn’t friendly enough with any of them yet to be dying for a guy he barely knew. Xenos had one goal above all others, survive this hellscape of a game, and death wishing companions fell real short of that.

Xenos frowned at the mention of the letter. “And you don’t know Valentine at all? You’ve never come across him? We just got unlucky and Karma was the first sucker he stumbled across? Cause it sounds a lot more like he wants to fuck with you rather than the rest of us.” Xenos shrugged as he threw out the concept.

“As for the leveling, should we put together a plan for how we want to build our skill points? We are training for a specific purpose and putting points in something like mathematics or gathering right now probably wouldn’t be the smartest move. We probably ought to make sure we are optimizing and maybe having whoever runs the guild tactics work with each of us would help make us a more cohesive unit.”