You have killed Rex.

You have killed Gatar.

You have killed Lexion.

Slaying my charmed minion, and the injured Rex and Lexion went off without a hitch. Once my grim work was done, I took a long hard look at the surroundings.

The rear end of the alley was backed against the safe zone’s fortifications, and atop the walls I could see knights patrolling back and forth. A constant stream of players passed across the alley mouth too. Despite this, no curious onlookers had come to investigate the skirmish.

I snorted, guessing that muggings were commonplace in the city. I guess players in Nexus know better than to involve themselves in others' business.

Seating myself in the darkest corner of the alley, I proceeded to heal myself with chi heal, then to recover my lost psi with meditation. Once I was done, I attended to the waiting Game messages.

You have reached level 80!

Congratulations, Michael! You are now a rank 8 player. Your experience gains have decreased further. For achieving rank 8, you have been awarded 1 additional attribute point and 1 Class point.

Your dodging has increased to level 52. Your sneaking has increased to level 62. Your shortswords has increased to level 57. Your light armor has increased to level 45.

Your chi has increased to level 48. Your meditation has increased to level 68. Your telekinesis has increased to level 48. Your telepathy has increased to level 47.

Your two weapon fighting has increased to level 50. Congratulations, Michael! Your skill with two weapons has reached rank 5, allowing you to learn tier 2 abilities.

I whistled appreciatively at my gains. I'd advanced four levels, from which I guessed my foes had been significantly higher ranked than me. I’d also acquired another Class point and a few more attribute points, and it was about time I saw to improving my Class abilities.

But not here, I thought. Let's find somewhere safe first.

I turned my attention to the corpses, and quickly looted them. Sadly, none of the five carried anything of use to me or items especially valuable. Even Hez’s flail was an ordinary weapon. The spell the player had used was not from an enchantment infused into the weapon.

Still, I stuffed everything that I could from the five into my bag of holding.

You have acquired 5 x caches of basic items.

You have acquired 6 silver and 3 copper coins.

With my scavenging complete, I slipped out of the alley and back towards the safe zone.

~~~

As I approached the south gate, I casually, but quite deliberately, ran my gaze over the safe zone’s fortifications. Sooner than I'd like, I would have to penetrate them.

The Triumvirate knights ran a tight ship. Patrols, each three-man strong, paced atop the wall, always with at least one other squad in sight. The ramparts themselves were well lit with mage globes strung up every twenty yards.

The gatehouse was even more impenetrable. Portcullis gates were emplaced on either end, and the tunnel which ran between and through the wall was nine yards wide and riddled with murder holes. Thankfully, there was no moat or drawbridge. Nonetheless, the safe zone’s defenses were impressive.

I passed unhindered through the south gate. Though the Triumvirate guards on duty eyed me carefully, none made any move to prevent me from entering the safe zone.

Once inside, I took a moment to plan my next move. The hotel the bard had told me about was on my right. And the Kesh emporium was on my left, with the Dark quarter being far to the east.

I exhaled my breath in a whoosh. I'd been foolish tonight, and fortunate not to have paid for it with my life. I urgently needed to get rid of Loken’s tracking spell. But I still wasn’t sure what the best way of doing that was…

Perhaps complying with Loken’s wishes will do the trick, or perhaps not. Either way, I needed to find out more about the task the Power had set me before deciding my course. I couldn't do that unprepared though, or while blinded by anger.

I had to plan the venture carefully and meticulously.

My first task would be to scout the target, and to do that I needed to get over the wall undetected. After seeing the defenses, I knew it would not be easy, but if I prepared carefully, I was certain I could manage the feat.

I will scout the Dark quarter tonight, I decided. I swung left, heading towards Kesh’s emporium.

First, though, I had some shopping to do.

~~~

The emporium, as the name implied, was a market. It was not for everyone though. From what I could gather, the place was run by the merchant Kesh for a select clientele. You couldn't get in without the appropriate references—which thanks to Albion Bank, I had.

The emporium was situated in a walled compound close to the south gate, and as I approached, it did not take me long to spot its high walls. Golden magelights danced in the starless sky over the compound, bathing the place in a soft warm glow, and gentle music emanated from within, giving the market a festive and elegant air.

I made straight for the wooden gates barring access to the compound. Two giants, clad in a mountain of steel, stood before it. Their weapons alone were taller than me.

“Halt,” the first rumbled.

“This is private property,” the second added. “No riff raff allowed.”

I let a smile play on my lips. “Really?” I murmured. “Then it's a good thing I'm not that.” Before the two could respond, I pulled out one of the cards Devlin had given me and waved it in the air.

The two guards eyed the item. “Let me see that,” the first demanded.

I handed over the card without fuss, and while the two bent their heads to scrutinize it, I analyzed both.

The target is Ent, a level 171 giant armsmaster. He is a player and bears a Mark of Lesser Shadow.

The target is Lake, a level 178 giant berserker. He is a player and bears a Mark of Lesser Light.

“That's rude,” Lake said, sensing my analyze.

I shrugged. “No ruder than you too,” I retorted.

Lake scowled at me “You little—”

“It’s genuine,” Ent interrupted.

In a flash, Lake's expression cleared, and he closed his mouth with a snap. Wrapping his large hands around the handle of one of the doors, he pushed it open and bowed low. “Sorry for the trouble, sir,” he said. “You may enter.”

I flashed him a grin, knowing that voicing the apology was the last thing the big player wanted to do. “Thank you,” I said and retrieved my card from the silent Ent before strolling into the emporium.

~~~

A maître-d met me inside. As the compound gate slid close behind me, the hooded figure drew to a halt before me. “How may I help you today, sir?” he—or was it she?—asked. The player before me was draped in a formless rope that completely hid the shape beneath.

“Can you direct me to Kesh please,” I asked.

The maître-d shook his head. “I'm sorry, but Kesh is unavailable.”

Removing Vivian’s token, I tossed it up in the air. The maître-d’s eyes locked momentarily on the token before wordlessly turning about. “This way, sir.”

The hooded figure led me down an elegant corridor and we passed rows of closed wooden doors. There was a thick plush carpet underfoot and gold chandeliers hung down from the ceiling. The occasional player passed us by, but always they were accompanied by a faceless figure.

Finally, we passed by an open doorway, and curiously, I peered in. The room was configured as a simple if expensive office. A customer sat on one side of the desk, and opposite him was what I assumed to be a merchant. Unexpectedly, there were no wares in sight.

“Where are all the goods?” I asked my escort.

The hooded figure glanced at me. “This is your first time in the emporium, I take it, sir? We do not deal with wares directly here. As you can imagine, space is at a premium in the safe zone, and it is impossible to stock our entire inventory on the premises. Our goods are stored in secure vaults outside the sector and only retrieved at need. At the emporium, our customers can peruse our catalogs, which are themselves highly prized. You will not find goods of similar quality or rarity anywhere else in Nexus,” he finished with a notable timbre of pride in his voice.

All at inflated prices, no doubt, I thought, wondering if I had made a mistake in coming here. The emporium was clearly not a place to shop on a budget.

Before I could question my guide further, he drew to a halt before a double set of doors. The hooded figure raised his hand and knocked quietly upon its surface.

“Come,” a voice called from within.

My escort pushed open the door, and waved me in. “This way, sir. Kesh awaits.”

~~~

The first thing I noticed was my host.

She was a woman, and not a man as I expected. The second thing that drew my eye was her age. Kesh was old. Her face was wrinkled and seamed like aged paper, and her hair was snow white. It was only while studying her that I realized that few of the Forever Kingdom players I'd met had been truly old.

A white shawl was draped over the merchant’s head and shoulders, its edges lined with gold embroidery. Folds of a matching garment were wrapped around her body and arms, leaving only her spindly hands and bony fingers exposed.

Kesh wore surprisingly little jewelry for someone as obviously wealthy as she was. Only a single ring adorned her right hand. Her other fingers were bare of ornaments as were her neck and ears.

The office itself was little different from the one I glimpsed before. It was decorated with understated elegance. A large and polished wooden table sat in the center, behind which Kesh waited in a plush leather chair. Curtains draped the windows, a carpet lay on the floor, and bookshelves lined the walls.

My gaze darting back to the merchant, I cast analyze.

The target is Kesh, a human master merchant. She is a player and bears a Mark of Greater Light, Shadow, and Dark.

A dry and wintry chuckle rose from the merchant. “I'm not what you were expecting, I take it?”

I broke off from my stare. “Sorry, it's just that—”

Kesh waved a hand dismissively. “Forget it. Your reaction is little different from thousands of other customers.” She gestured to the chair opposite to her. “Sit.”

I sat. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

The elderly merchant smiled. “Anything for a customer,” she rasped.

“How old are you?”

Kesh only smiled mysteriously. “You won't believe how many times I get asked that,” she said while making no attempt to answer the question. Her gaze roved over me, sharp eyes seeming to catalog each piece of my gear. “I'm surprised that you managed to attract Viviane’s interest,” she said bluntly.

I glanced down at myself. “Why? What's wrong with how I look?” I asked only half-jokingly.

“You’re poor,” Kesh said bluntly. “If there is one thing both Viviane and I have in common, it’s that we appreciate refined things.”

I didn't miss the warning behind her words. As affable as the merchant appeared, I didn't think she'd hesitate to throw me out if I was as truly as cash-stricken as I appeared.

I cast her a lopsided grin. “Is this how you treat all your customers?”

Kesh snorted. “Only those I suspect of not belonging. As you said, I'm an old woman. Others can beat around the bush. Not me.” She leaned back in her chair and pinned me with a glare. “Viviane’s token was enough to get you through the door, but to stay, you have to show me more. Now answer me truly. Can you afford my wares?”

I shrugged easily. “Truthfully? I don't know. I'm newly arrived in Nexus, and don't have a feel for the market yet.”

Kesh said nothing for a moment, then tapped the fingers of her right hand down on the table in a peculiar pattern. In response, a stone tablet emerged onto the surface in front of me.

It was a bank keystone.

“Touch the keystone, and let me verify your funds,” the merchant ordered.

Mutely I did as asked.

Kesh's attention flickered inwards momentarily, before returning to me.

“So. Am I rich enough?” I quipped.

The old woman's lips widened into a smile. It was answer enough.