Chapter 17 – Shanty Town

We grab a cup of coffee and chat for a little while until I leave the diner. It’s great catching up with dad, especially since we haven’t had much time to talk lately. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my body as well. Not in my wildest imagination could I picture that talk go as well as it did. Perhaps I should have known though. Dad will always be dad after all.

Smiling, I decide to walk back home while checking up on some things on my phone. First of all, since I’ve finally managed to reach the city proper, I decide to find some maps and read up on some forums about what I can expect from Drenerys. It doesn’t hurt to have a general map at hand as well as some data on where the best place to set up shop would be.

The more interesting part is to find out more about the Dark Pegasus guild. They have really been a thorn in my side, and I need to know my enemy if I am ever going to pay them back.

Pulling up their guild’s webpage, I find it surprisingly well made. It’s filled with links to player feeds, images, ads, and a large recruitment post. My eyes are drawn to it, and I can’t help but read through it.

The Dark Pegasus is a large guild who aims to become the most powerful faction in Ascendance Unlimited. We number over a thousand strong and we welcome any skilled player who seeks fame and fortune. In our guild, you will find either. If you think you are worthy of joining our ranks, know that we offer a salary if you prove yourself dedicated enough to the guild’s cause. Send an email to one of our recruitment officers today, and have a chance to stand at the center stage when we shape the future of Ascendance Unlimited.

Well, I won’t say they aren’t ambitious at the very least. Those are bold claims right there. It doesn’t say much about them, but I have no doubt in my mind that they must have some serious financial backing to be able to offer a salary to a large number of people at this early stage of the game. Is it really that important to get ahead in this game? It seems like an awfully big risk to me, but that’s their choice. I have my own plans for them. The risk factor may be high, but I won’t ignore the fact that a really fat goose is roosting on a fabergè egg right under my nose. A smirk is spreading across my lips. I’m going to look forward to this.

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Logging back in, I find my character sitting just where I left him. Looking around to get my bearings, I notice that my Beggar has caught up to me and is now idling by my side. It probably looks a little suspicious, especially since I’ve already taken my Villain’s Mask off, but I assume no one would bother showing up here anyway.

Getting on my feet, I’m finally ready to psyche myself up enough to venture into the city proper. It feels like ages since I started up this character, and it’s weird to think that it hasn’t even been a full day yet. How weird is that?

Heading along the coastline, I review the information I gathered after I came back from my run. The main body of Drenerys makes up around ninety-five percent of the city. The rest of the city is the noob zone and the peddlers market right outside the city’s gate.

Drenerys is built in a crescent shape around a small bay, divided into seven different districts. The market district is the central most area of the city, and it functions as the major hub for player activity. It’s where you find everything you could possibly need really. All the markets, the auction house, the arena, the bank, the real-life money exchange station, and tons of other buildings. In fact, you will hardly ever see a player outside of this district, the only exception being crafters, people with personal homes like a guild house, or people doing social quests.

Well, and Villains of course. Which is what I’m really looking forward to. It should be easier to move around here than it was in the noob district. The last five districts are the Noble’s District to the far east, the general Residential area to the west and north, the Harbour to the south and southeast, the Crafters district to the northeast, and the Shanty Town in the southwest, connecting to the noob district.

I did spend about an hour studying a map of the city, as well as watch a few recordings of players walking around the place. My goal is to find an area to settle down in and stay out of the way from other players as well as have a decent enough terrain to both hide and attack with my underlings. The Noble’s District and the Marketplace are obviously ruled out of this, and so is the noob district. The Residential District is by far the largest district and the easiest to hide in, but the problem is that the buildings are packed so tightly together, there are hardly any alleys for me to utilise. The Crafter’s District, the Harbour, and the Shanty Town are my best bets, and I’ve decided to try and set up shop in the Shanty Town.

I had to make some careful calculations to land on this choice. The downsides with this district are the lack of commerce, and thus quality grade jobs for me to perform. On the other side, the Shanty Town is created like a maze of shacks and oddly placed warehouses. There are so many places to hide and get lost in that I can be virtually invisible. The major selling point for me though is that it’s the district with the most sewage drains in the entire city. If my guess is correct, the sewers should be pretty similar, if not more complex than the sewer system in the noob district. It could be a potential goldmine of experience points, hiding places, and logistics. It’s exactly what I need to kickstart my Thief Lord career.

Luckily, I don’t have to travel far to reach the Shanty Town. I soon find myself treading away from the rocky shore of the noob district’s peninsula over to the half-rotten planks that make up the dockside of the Shanty Town. While technically still part of the Harbour District, the Shanty Town docks are the remnant of the golden era of Drenerys. Once upon a time, Drenerys was a beacon for the Emperia Empire, being the central trade hub connecting the three different continents together. As the Emperia Empire fell on hard times, so did Drenerys. The area used to be a collection of old warehouses, factories, two drydocks, and a shipyard, but now it’s a place where the poor and crippled gather. The city guards have all but given up on the place, and player activity is close to nil. Can you imagine a better starting area for me?

It’s infinitely better than the noob district. Honestly. This place should be called the tutorial area for Villains, not the other way around. Speaking of which, I wonder how the search concluded? I open up my friends list and write up a quick message for Anna.

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: Hello. Did you kids find what you were looking for?]

I wait for a few minutes, eagerly waiting for her reply.

[Anna’el Windrider writes: Oh hey, Ryan! Why do you ask?]

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: No reason. It just sounded like it was a big deal. I was worried something bad happened.]

[Anna’el Windrider writes: Aww, that’s sweet *winkyface*. It’s not much to tell though. We thought we tracked her into the sewers, but there wasn’t anyone there. I was soooo sure about it too. It makes no sense. It’s like she was there for one moment, and then POOF! Completely disappeared without a trace. Can you believe that?]

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: Uhm. I guess? It sounds rough. So you came up with empty hands? Is there a Villain loose in our midst?]

[Anna’el Windrider writes: Nah. I don’t think so. We did check out your tip around where you saw the female dwarf, but we found nothing. The going theory is that she tried to climb down the cliffs, fell down, and died. That might have been enough for her to delete her character in disappointment. Anyway, I’ve had enough of that entire ordeal. What are you up to? Managed to make me that trap yet? LoL.]

I grin. It sounds like everything worked out for the best.

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: I have made some progress, but nothing that’s worth your time yet. I think I’ll need a few more weeks and levels first. I was thinking about walking around town for a bit and see if any of these nice people need my help.]

[Anna’el Windrider writes: LOL. Are you just going to do social quests for all eternity? My offer to boost you to level ten still stands you know *winkyface*

.]

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: Haha, thanks, but no thanks. An old man likes to take his time and do things his own way.]

[Anna’el Windrider writes: Awww, worth a shot though *poutyface*. Wanna meet up for a drink or two?]

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: No, sorry. I will have to take a raincheck. It’s already morning, and I’m late for work.]

[Anna’el Windrider writes: Aww, rejected *crying*. We’ll definitely talk later. Have a nice day! XoXo.]

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: Have a lovely day, dear.]

Wow. Pretending to be an old guy is actually really tiresome. What’s up with this girl though? Does she have a thing for old men, or is it just the way she is? Whatever the reason, she sure is a fountain of information. I am starting to feel a little bad for using her this way, but it’s still a game, right? As a Villain, I am sort of expected to deceive her. It just feels like I’m crossing some sort of line I shouldn’t. Perhaps I should stop using her like this…

I shake my head. It may feel wrong, and I will probably try to limit my abuse of our friendship, but I don’t think there’s a way for me not to gain valuable information by just being near her. She isn’t the most secretive type, and she seems to take and do everything with a light touch. Who knows? She might not even care that I know these things. She probably wouldn’t be too happy about being lied to though, but it’s too late for that now.

I open up my friends list and put my online status to appear as offline to everyone. Now that I’ve committed to the story that I’m a fully-fledged adult who is new to the game, then I can’t have Anna or Brian figure out that I’m actually online all the time. It’s not the easiest explanation to have, but I figure it’s easier to explain my odd behaviour by being old and eccentric rather than young and stupid.

With all that out of the way, it’s time for me to take the first step on my road to conquering this city. And, to do that, I need to find a tavern somewhere. I make my way through a small cluster of shacks by the oceanside. There is only one street that can be considered proper, and it cuts from the noob district straight through the Shanty Town and into the Market square. That leaves the majority of the Shanty Town as a myriad of makeshift wooden sheds and shacks. The worst of which is closer to the ocean.

It takes a good while for me to find my way around. I end up walking into three dead ends, two brothels, and a random mugging. Luckily, I wasn’t the victim in that last one and managed to slither away before the thugs realised I was even there. I eventually come upon an area that seems to be more proper than the other places. It’s probably the only area in the entire district that has several two-storey buildings. This place used to be the headquarters of a local trading guild while the city was still thriving. Now, the houses remain abandoned and the dregs and squatters of society have claimed it as their own.

I am about to enter what I believe was the old administrative building of the guild which some entrepreneurs decided to rebuild into a tavern, but not before I send my Beggar off to scrounge up some jobs in the neighbourhood. I don’t need him for this next part, and I don’t like to keep my underlings idle.

The tavern is the only three-storey building in the district, and it’s located in front of a series of empty and abandoned warehouses. The tavern has only a handful of customers this early in the morning, but luckily, none of them are players. I give a curt nod to the tavern keeper before I find myself a secluded booth in a dark corner.

Giving the room another once-over, I activate one of the Thief Lord class’ core abilities. “Gold for Blood.”

The life of a Villain is filled with violence. Many will perish, be it your friend or your foe. Life is precious. But, like everything in life, it has a price. You may pay for the blood with gold.

Tier 1 Underlings - Costs 5 copper per Underling.

-Human Hoodlum(3), Fighter.

-Human Cutpurse(3), Rogue.

-Wood Elf Spotter(3), Ranged.

The cost of resurrecting is negligible, which is why I waste no time resurrecting my three fallen underlings. I could have decided to instead train three fresh recruits, but for only five coppers per life, I’d rather just pay the price than spend hours trying to grind the underlings up to an appropriate level. It may be cheaper now, but the price and penalties get steeper the higher level my underlings get. When my underlings reach tier six or seven, then I might have to consider if I will actually bother resurrecting them at all if they end up dead. That’s how harsh it can be. Playing as a Villain is no joke.

It takes a few moments until the front door of the tavern opens and my three freshly risen underlings step in. I get a deja vu moment when they all survey the room with great care until they spot me and head over, nodding respectfully to me as they sit down.

I smirk at the absurdity of it all. Not one to waste time on tearful reunions, I open up my inventory and hand each and every one of them back their weapons and gear. The underlings have the same penalties as the Villain’s do when they die, so I need to take special care not to waste both their lives and their gear if I end up having to sacrifice them. Equipping their gear, the trio immediately returns to scanning the room for threats. It still irks me that they never bother to thank me, but I suppose I can forgive them since I actually did get them killed to save my own ass just a few hours ago.

Regardless, resurrecting my underlings isn’t the only thing I came here for. It’s about time I expanded my roster, and I have a few great candidates in mind. A budding Thief Lord can’t do whatever he wants without a bunch of loyal henchmen, can he?