Chapter 52 – Phantom Threat

“Son of a… I knew you could do it!” I laugh as I’m presented with the haul of tonight’s heist. A whole stack of valuable reagents, equipment, and a various assortment of gear and other valuables are laid out in front of me, and I can not even begin to measure the worth of it all. It must be worth at least seven hundred gold, easy. Probably more. This amount of money pretty much solves all my financial problems for another month. Can life get any better?

“Thank you, boss. It wasn’t hard.” Cobra grins, putting his feet on the table. “Or am I wrong, boys!?”

“O-Rah!”

I chuckle at my underlings’ antics. Cobra most of all. I’m not sure what I would have done if this mission failed. Perhaps cry a little? I don’t know. I’m just glad I won’t have to find out.

“How about the Cauldron? Did you stop whatever thing he was brewing?”

“Eh, yeah. It hurt like a bitch, but I ran over and threw half a box of Holy Roots into the mix. The result nearly took my eyebrows off, but it got the job done. You won’t see any plagues spreading from that guy anytime soon.” He grins while wiggling his eyebrows. When I look closer, I can see the edges are slightly singed. Damn. The realism of this game is unreal. Whatever A.I. is governing this game is doing one heck of a job.

“You performed well above my expectations, Cobra. Hell, all of you did! Tonight, drinks are on me!” I shout, my voice being echoed by a room full of cheers. I’m not sure how a group of digitally mute underlings manage to do it, but my Hideout is soon filled with music and cheers as my underlings conjure mugs of ale from gods know where. I chuck it up to the game being the game as I take it all in. Tonight, nothing can break my good mood.

I sit quietly watching my partying underlings for a while. It’s about time I get to take a much-earned break. These past few weeks have been hectic, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Smiling to myself, I get onto my feet and retire to my personal quarters. I should probably log off soon. If I take the events of the last twenty-four hours into consideration, then I think I’ve earned a day off. Maybe take some time to finally finish reading that book of mine.

I enter the dimly lit room and take a moment to let the silence sink in. I walk over towards my desk, trailing my fingers across the rough oaken table. This Hideout is a godsend. It’s exactly what I need. There are lots of challenges ahead, and this safe haven will probably play a vital role for me going forward. I still have to deal with the fallout after my run-in with Greg and Kevin, as well as come up with a strategy to work around the fact that the Dark Pegasus guild now knows that the sewers are no longer a secret. I still have to deal with Anna and Aria, as well as the weird-ass NPCs in the Silver Saints organisation. There are a lot of loose ends, and I need to put some serious thought into what my strategy is going forward. One thing is for certain though. That’s a problem for tomorrow.

Releasing a deep breath, I let my body slump into the chair. I casually lean back into my seat and lazily place my feet on the table. Yeah, this feels great. I grin.

It’s been a long journey this past week. A lot has happened, and I feel like I’ve only just barely started my journey. The road so far has really only been about hiding. I’ve been running for two weeks straight and it’s about time I changed that. A week ago I had nothing. I was just some low-level Thief Lord way over my head; stuck in the Noob Zone with no hope of escape.

Who would have thought I would find a way out of that death trap? I hardly believe it myself. And how about all the crap that followed? The Bard’s college, the Plaguebringer, and Farq’mel. I have faced each of these challenges one at a time, and I prevailed. By fighting harder. Fighting harder when I should have been fighting smarter. I may not have any money, power, or fame yet, but I have a place to hide; ways to defend myself from prying eyes. I have reached a new stage of the game. Everything is about to change.

It’s funny to think about, really. I’ve been playing as a Thief Lord, no, as a Villain for three months, and I have yet to realise the simple truth of what being a Villain truly is. My mindset has been exactly like how my mindset has been in any other roleplaying game I’ve ever played. I’ve been playing as if I’m the protagonist of the story. It’s not my job to slaughter the demon king and rescue the fair princess; neither is it my job to rally the people behind me; to bring justice and honor to the world.

Being a Villain is nothing like that. I’ve been playing this class completely wrong from the start. I’m not a regular player trying to progress through this world by defeating bigger and stronger monsters. Far from it. I’m a Villain. I’m supposed to be the man behind the curtain. The puppeteer. My actions shouldn’t be to overcome everyone else by brawn alone. I’m here for the money, not the glory. I don’t need quests, recognition, or even a castle. What I need is something else. Something darker; more sinister. I want the power unattainable by other players. I want to control what they can not. Seize the opportunities discarded by others.

I want raw power.

My path has never been clearer. It’s time to up my game.

----------

Loud footsteps echo through the deserted hallways of the Dark Pegasus’ guild estate in the Noble’s District. The morning sun is starting to peek over the horizon, it’s light gently reflecting off the colored glass that covers the large windows of the corridor. Benjamin pays it no mind, however, as there are sensitive matters to deal with. As he reaches the end of the corridor, he finds himself in front of a thick oaken door. Lifting his arm, he knocks thrice on the hard wooden surface.

“Enter.” A tired voice sounds from the other side. Not one to delay any further, Benjamin pushes the door open, revealing his tired guild leader sitting hunched over her desk on the other side.

“There has been a development, madam.” Benjamin says.

Aria sighs, not bothering to raise her head. “What is it now?”

“We have located and eliminated a high-level Plaguebringer in the city.”

Aria’s head snaps to attention, her spine straightening as she gives Benjamin her full attention. “Start from the beginning.”

Benjamin takes a deep breath. “This morning at exactly four twenty-three, the player Rynorn Stabberton, also known as Ryan, sent a message to your sister, telling her that he encountered a Plaguebringer in the sewers beneath the Harbour District.”

“Hold on. Ryan encountered a Villain in the sewers?” She raises her eyebrows. “How did he know about them? … No, wait. Don’t tell me…” She frowns.

“Indeed, madam.” Benjamin nods solemnly. “The party leader, Paul, reports that Ryan entered the sewers with the intent of testing some of his new trap designs. I must say, from what Paul tells me, it seems Ryan discovered an aspect of the profession that completely changes our earlier presumptions. Some of them actually show greater promise than what our analysts predicted. I recommend we talk about investing in that branch of crafting at a later date.”

“I don’t care. Continue with the topic at hand.” Aria snaps. Why does he bother her with this nonsense?

“As you wish.” He takes a moment to clear his throat. “After being pursued through the sewers for roughly five minutes, Ryan managed to escape the sewers. Anna and her party were scheduled to meet up with Ryan in the area later in the evening, so they were luckily close enough to intercept the Plaguebringer before he could kill Ryan and escape.

Following their trail, Anna’s team came upon a lair set up in quadrant thirty-six of the Harbour District’s sewer system. The lair contained a cauldron in critical state, as well as an assortment of various alchemical equipment. No ingredients. The team is currently searching the area for a secret stash of reagents, but they are not optimistic. They suspect someone cleaned out his lair just moments before they arrived. Assailants are unknown.”

“Wait. How is that possible!?” Aria raises her voice, staring at her assistant.

“We do not know. Currently, the most feasible theory is that some third party came across the lair while the Plaguebringer was chasing down Ryan. The timing is too conspicuous for Ryan not to be involved somehow, although he hasn’t admitted to it. Do you wish for me to have him followed?”

Aria frowns, considering her options. Her instincts are screaming at her that something is not right here. This Ryan character is a mystery to her, and she really hates mysteries. Normally, she wouldn’t hesitate to destroy the man, but something holds her back. Her promise to her sister.

She sighs. It goes against every fiber in her body, but she should probably lay off this time. Her relationship with Anna is strained enough as it is, and she doesn’t think she can salvage the situation if Anna ever found out she broke her word again. “No. Don’t do it. Whatever his reasons are to keep it hidden from us, it’s inconsequential. The most important thing is that the Plaguebringer was stopped. Tell me about the Villain.”

“As you wish, madam. The now dead Plaguebringer, PlayerID: ‘Doctor Gaseous Proctor’, a level twenty-three Villain, has been reported respawning at the city’s main respawn point. Our guards on standby have successfully killed the Plaguebringer another time, reducing his level to thirteen in the process. Shortly afterwards, the character stopped respawning and is now presumed to either be deleted by the player or logged off. The guards on duty report the Plaguebringer was cursing a Thief Lord, identity unknown.”

Aria’s eyes immediately widen. “A Thief Lord!? Can you verify this information?” She snaps at Benjamin, her eyes turning ice cold.

“No. Sadly, the guards stationed at the respawn point didn’t give the Plaguebringer enough time to elaborate. There is little evidence to back up his claim, however, but Anna’s party did spot a couple of level one Spotters near the sewer exit. We deem it unlikely that the two cases are related, however.”

Aria frowns. Her instincts are screaming at her. Why would he say something like that for no reason? If the Plaguebringer was cursing a Thief Lord, then where did the Thief Lord disappear to? The only people present were the Plaguebringer, Anna’s party and… Ryan.

“How likely is it that Ryan is masquerading as a Thief Lord?”

Benjamin hesitates for a moment, scrunching his forehead. “I would say that it’s highly unlikely. Ryan is currently a level eleven player. Even with all of his attributes invested into Charisma and Luck, as well as gaining the maximum possible gains from level-appropriate gear, the sum simply cannot match Paul’s perception attribute. He confirms Ryan is who he says he is.”

“Unlikely, but not impossible?”

“True. This is still a game, and it is not impossible that Ryan somehow gained an ability or item to negate the effect of Paul’s Perception. At this early stage of the game, however, I would say it is highly unlikely Ryan could stumble across such a powerful item.”

Aria frowns. The game. That’s the only thing she really hates about this new world. Games have too many unpredictable elements. She loves the order and crystal-clear rules, but there are too many unpredictable factors. Too many abnormal variables. The status quo can change on a whim, and the only thing she can do is adapt. She needs control. Craves it. She won’t take any chances here. Not when she has invested this much resources into this world. Taking a deep breath, she addresses her assistant. “Try to track the player behind the Plaguebringer down in real life. Find out everything he knows. This matter is a top priority. You are dismissed.”

“As you wish, madam.” Benjamin says. He bows curtly before he turns around and exits the office. The door soon closes behind him, leaving Aria in the empty office with a scowl on her face. Her fist clenches as she rises to her feet and starts pacing around the room.

“Damn it. Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!” She curses, finally losing her temper. A Thief Lord. Why did it have to be a Thief Lord? She hates those things. There are no doubts in her mind that this Thief Lord is real. How did he escape Anna’s party though? How about Ryan? Why didn’t Ryan see the Thief Lord? Could the mysterious third party that collaborated with Ryan to rob the Plaguebringer be the Thief Lord? But how come the Plaguebringer then opted to chase Ryan instead of the Thief Lord?

Damn it. This makes no sense. There is something she is missing. But what could it be? Why would the Plaguebringer be angry at the Thief Lord specifically while chasing Ryan? Can he really be a Thief Lord? Should she have him followed after all?

…

Aria keeps pacing while an inner conflict flares up in her chest. Her gut is telling her to tear Ryan’s life apart on the off chance that he is, or is collaborating with a Thief Lord. But on the other side, she can’t risk souring her relationship with Anna. Her sister is too precious. She can’t lose her. Not again…

She needs to take precautions. She refuses to be caught unprepared against this phantom threat. The only thing she can do is assume her city is infested with this vermin, and she won’t let the pest spread before it’s too late. She needs to take the fight to them.

She needs to be smart about it though.

The city is big. Too big to do a proper purge. There is just no feasible way for her to round up enough players to do a proper search of the city. It would take a nearly countless amount of resources and time to do a proper sweep of the city, with no guarantee that it will even amount to anything. It may work in the Noob District because of its natural barriers, but the main city is a completely different arena. No. To overcome this obstacle, she needs to fight fire with fire.

She needs to contact Shadowbane.