Raven pulled out the sword and stepped back, sighing as he watched Talon’s body dissipate into light. He checked his own status, his health had trickled down slightly from losing a hand and having his chest slashed but the worst part was the debuff icon currently beneath the HP bar. Glancing at it made its description appear.

Severed limb: This limb will be unavailable for use until you are healed or respawned.

“Well…that sucked.” Raven mumbled out loud before turning to Discordia, she was still clutching her weapon. Her eyes wide as she watched the lights dissipate, her expression full of rage. Raven stepped to her, grabbing her left arm “They’re gone, let it be.”

He noticed, that her eyes softened. As if she had been snapped out of a daze “Huh?...Oh…” she lightened her grip on the weapon and rose back. Not so carefully, she pulled her arm out of his soft grip “I…”.

Raven sighed (“So things like that happen around here huh?”) he pondered, glancing around at equipment they left behind after death.

“Every once in a while, we catch a couple of them yes.” Said a voice from behind them, as both of them turned to meet the staff-wielding Mer “Most of the time, there’s guards around here ready to deal with them but…” Tiana shrugged “I sort of had to kill the guards to get through down here”.

Raven met her amused expression with his own “Got what you came for?”

Tiana smiled back “Partly, although I’m more interested in what just happened here.”

Raven’s left brow rose questioningly “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

Her smile widened “I like to look up newcomers. I must say, your background is far more interesting than most people that have come this game’s way.”

Raven turned to fully face her, the amusement gone and replaced by a solemn gaze “Oh? What background exactly?”

“It’s not everyday you meet a professional league trainer.” Tiana said with a smirk, as suddenly Raven raised his blade to her face.

His eyes wide but steady, his expression grim “Ex. I don’t work in that profession anymore. How did you find all that out anyway?”

“So I’ve heard.” Responded Tiana as she leaned away from the blade, grabbing it in between her fingers and moving it away “And I have my…sources.”

“R-Raven…” Discordia mumbled as she held her pole-axe forward, staring at his predicament with surprise.

He glanced to either side of him, there were two cloaked figures holding blades to his neck “Friends too, I see.” He mused, before turning to face Tiana once more “So you know what I use to do, then what do you want from me?”

“Hm? I thought that would be simple to figure out.” She waved the two cloaked players off, and they both immediately sheathed their blades. Moving to stand beside her “We want you to join our cause. A cause we both can profit off of, that is the reason you began playing this game is it not? To make a living off the only thing you know how to do.”

Raven’s solemn expression warped as he suddenly began to laugh “Recruiting me are you? For what? Your guild?” he lowered his sword.

“Guild?” Tiana chuckled “Oh this thing?” she then said pointing at the SNEKK guild tag “Oh no, this is only temporary.”

Raven was the one to smile now “Nindo.”

“Ah, so you’ve made your research too.” She smiled approvingly “Yes, our cause was built on our past failure. But our goal overall has changed.”

“Well colour me intrigued, so what exactly is your goal?” Raven asked as he glanced at the two cloaked figures by her side.

Tiana gestured widely, seemingly at the forest around them “This game is dying. The companies influencing the large guilds have been draining its lifeline for years now, and it's reaching its end. Players like Discordia here, join to enjoy the game but only get pushed away by the community. The community in of itself then is dying off as the economy self-destructs.”

She sighed longingly “Do you know how people make money off this game?”

“Items, gold and PVP events.” Raven guessed.

Tiana pointed her finger at him “Items, that key word. Loot from monsters, rewards from bosses. Remember when I explained the Delve levels? Well what do you think would happen if all the cities were owned by a conglomerate of guilds who’s only goal is to profit?”

Raven’s eyes narrowed as he glanced down thoughtfully “They’d hoard the lower levels, allow access only to trusted members or paying players.”

Tiana flicked her fingers now “Exactly, that’s what they do. And because of that, the game is slowly dying out. But they don’t care, they’re just milking it for the money like all the other games on the store that have embraced the open market system.”

“And let me guess, you want to try and stop these companies from ruining all those games?” Raven asked, already unamused by them.

“No.” Tiana then responded, deadpan as such “We don’t care for the other games, that’s too much attention. No, we’re solely focusing on COTD, because fighting them on the grand scale of things as we did before will only end with us as the losers once more. No this isn’t an open battlefield anymore, we’ve changed our tactics to align with theirs. This is guerrilla warfare, and we’re winning.”

“Winning?” Raven asked, when suddenly eight more players appeared out of the forest around them.

Tiana smiled “They control the main guilds, but we’re everywhere. Within the main guilds, officers of the crafting guilds and even leadership within the smaller ‘Customer’ guilds.”

“I see…And why are you showing yourselves so openly then?” Raven dared ask as his seriousness returned, at first thinking he was dealing with a bunch of tinfoil-hats but now…

“Because,” began speaking another who Raven recognised “The beginning of the end starts tomorrow, we’re all ready and waiting.” Said Calibor, the player character who Raven recognised from the photo.

Raven raised a brow as he turned to Calibor “And here I thought you quit.”

“He did.” Calibor responded “I’m the guy he sold the account to.”

“You can sell accounts? What about the body scan?” Raven asked, surprised and curious.

“Within certain parameters…” Calibor admitted “It’s not exactly legal but, nobody really frowns upon it either.”

Tiana clapped her hands “Annyyywayy, getting sidetracked. Point is, there are about 80 players hidden in groups within this Delve level. Waiting, for my orders to start. We noticed you, and appreciate your skill and experience. So how about it? Want to make some good cash off the douche company’s backs?”

Raven sighed as he turned to her “So we’re on a timer, starting tomorrow? Let me guess, you’re waiting for Cerberus to capture a corridor before taking over.” Tiana only smiled back, giving no response “Members only info huh?” he chuckled before glancing around “You must really need members if you’re willing to show yourselves to just gain one more, I shudder at the thought of how many players we’ll be actually facing. But…”

His smile grew, his eyes empty of emotion as he seemingly stared off into another place, another time “I’m always down for stabbing the corporate bastards in the back.” He looked her straight in the eye, making her shudder slightly from the coldness in his expression “Where do I sign?”

“Nowhere yet…We’ll come find you when we start, you have 26 hours though to get as high level as you can.” Said, Tiana, as the other players slowly began to disappear.

“26 hours? And what level do you expect me to get by then?” Raven asked, trying to gauge the experience gain in this game.

“Hmm…” She hummed thoughtfully “Level 8? Something like that.” She shrugged.

“A level 8 against what tier of players exactly?” Raven sighed “You could at least tell me what’s this bullshit about the locked Racial.”

“I was about to.” Tiana grinned, before glancing at an utterly confused Discordia “I guess it doesn’t matter if you overhear…” She turned back to Raven “Good thing neither of you has levelled yet too, since the first ten levels are key to it.”

“What do you mean?” Raven’s curiosity peaked as he asked that question, a certain glint in his eyes did not go unnoticed.

Tiana chuckled as she began casting healing on his injuries, explaining all the while “Well the Racial Mastery unlocks itself for the player at level 10 but…What that mastery is, is determined by which Spec you focused on mostly before level 10. Since it is impossible to get Companions before level 60, it’s a pick between Weapon and Elemental Mastery. Whichever of the two you focused on most, for whichever specific mastery it will imbue itself to it.”

“Specific?” Discordia repeated as she watched bone, then flesh followed by skin regenerate itself awfully graphically.

“It doesn’t bind itself to the Weapon Mastery as a whole but instead, the specific weapon category. So say you mainly used the sword, it will bind itself to Sword Mastery. Empowering it greatly.” Tiana explained, finishing her healing spell.

Raven took a long drawn out sigh, less so from finally having his hand back “So it would be too late by the time you find out what it actually is…And for those still figuring out their build, it would be a nightmare.”

Tiana shrugged “Hey, look at the bright part…At least now you know.”

“Now I do…” he chuckled with desperation, not even he could have figured that out on his own.

“Remember newbie, 26 hours. Put a timer on that.” Tiana casually saluted before turning away.

“Wait!” Discordia suddenly shouted.

Seemingly already expecting that reaction, Tiana glanced back “You want in too?” she asked, smirking.

Discordia glanced between her and Raven “I…Yes, I want to be part of this too.”

“Hmm…”Tiana hummed thoughtfully “I mean you’re still new…Your background check didn’t point out anything too interesting unlike Mr. trainer here…Well except for…”

“W-what?” Discordia asked shakily, disturbed of having her personal life checked.

“Hm, you can draw can’t you?” Tiana asked.

“Um…Yes?” she responded, slightly confused now.

Tiana suddenly turned resting her hands over Discordia’s shoulders “Good good! You can design our flag and banners then!”

“U-hm…I could?” Discordia said, slightly disappointed as her shoulders slumped down.

“Well I’ll leave you to it then.” Tiana said, waving them off whilst walking backwards. “Remember…26 hours~ Before we bring this world to its knees and begging~”

“You’ve said th-” Raven began as he turned to face her, only to find that Tiana was already gone “How do they even do that?” he sighed, glanced around at the beginner equipment still laying about and then began picking up his arrows.

Discordia watched quietly, as he picked them up one by one before he suddenly began to walk away “W-where are you going?” she asked, strapping her weapon to her back before following after him.

“To level up of course.” Raven replied simply.

“But…the level 1 area is back there?” Discordia pointed out.

“We might be level one, but did you not notice how those four players were level 5 and us two as level 1 dealt more than enough damage to kill them?” Raven argued back “Stats in this game aren’t like your average MMORPG, I’d garner they’re more similar to arena fighters. Health, damage, resistance and all that, caps out at a certain point. From what I can tell of our beginner equipment, it gives little to no stats. Items don’t give all that either which is why high tier gear is so much more sought after.”

“I still don’t get why we’re heading towards higher level monsters…” Discordia mumbled.

Raven stopped and glanced back, before pointing towards her “Tank.” Then at himself “DPS.”

She looked at him with even more confusion “So?”

“So we need a healer, and as far as I could tell I’m the better damage dealer of the two. So we need to get you a healing mastery, and those level 1 mobs don’t exactly spell out magic do they?” Raven explained.

“Yeah…I guess not?” Discordia agreed.

“Well there you go, now let’s move on.” He said, before turning to continue walking onwards.

Discordia nodded, before suddenly realising. She had just agreed to be both the tank and healer…

Several minutes later.

An opening in the strange forest, gleaming with a flowing fog of pure light. Prancing within the rainbow of blurred light was a white figure, a four legged and small furry creature. The size of a fox, but the body shape of a slightly larger cat. The creature was mostly feline other than the long white-feathered wings growing out of its back.

It leaped around, playfully with the glowing grass. Spreading its wings the creature flew long bounds, flapping them would most certainty take it further.

Discordia watched with narrowed eyes, barely making out the creature through the strange fog. She glanced at her chat, quickly typing into the party window.

“- Is that it?” she asked.

“- Yes, the post says it’s our best bet for a Light elemental core at this level. The Angelic Wildcat.” Raven replied. “They’re highly smart creatures, and very fast. Stick to the plan, I’ll deal with the rest.”

Discordia glanced away from the chatbox, as it faded out of view (“Here goes then…”) she took a deep breath, whilst clutching her pole-axe. Seeing through the fog, that the creature stopped prancing.

It had noticed her.

Discordia charged out, willing her charge skill to activate. Her body glowed fiercely red as she suddenly appeared before the adorable white ball of winged fur, as it expertly leaped over her wide slash. Its body bending mid-air, acrobatics part of its everyday life.

The wildcat opened its wings wide, flapping them once it flew off and away from Discordia. Quickly landing at the edge of the opening it prepared its wings as it arched back, taking a stance to leap up into the air and take flight.

Discordia watched with wide eyes, her skill still on cooldown.

As four arrows suddenly burst out of the forest, a barrage directed at the small creature. The wildcat noticed the ambush, abandoning its leap into freedom it tried to evade. The first arrow missed its mark, going over the wildcat. The second scraped by the creature’s neck, barely missing too.

But the third landed squarely into the cat’s left wing, shredding feather and flesh before shattering the fragile bones. Followed by the fourth, as it embedded itself into the creature’s left paw. It screeched in agony, before suddenly hissing fiercely.

The Angelic Wildcat leaped out of the way as another arrow shot by, hissing once more before lunging down on the arrow shaft that was protruding out of its leg. It pulled it out, whining in pain before ferociously crunching the arrow into two.

“Go!” Raven shouted, as he stepped through the bushes. Bow drawn, arrows ready. He loosed, arrow after arrow as the creature danced around and evaded. Its leg shrouded by a thicker mist, as it healed through the creature’s magic. Raven missed left and right, the creature’s size small and its speed incredible.

He drew his last arrow, as he met the creature’s maddened eyes. It expected him to loose, but he held. Briefly confusing it, as suddenly the mist behind it spread apart.

Discordia appeared behind it, charging once more. Her body shrouded in short gouts of flame, as her pole-axe’s blade fell down upon the creature ready to cleave it into two. The creature’s fur stood on end, as it stepped aside while turning. Moving to evade and then run off.

It was faster than Discordia, easily moving out of her attack’s arch. But in turn, its movements became an obvious pattern and Raven loosed his last arrow. A screech of pain ended it all, as the creature fell to the ground. Its body limp, an arrow protruding out of the left of its head.

The two players stared at it, Discordia out of breath and watching carefully as Raven began recovering his arrows. In the chatbox at the corner of their view, the kill notice appeared.

You have killed [Angelic Wildcat] Level 1

Experience gained! 1.8%

“So that’s 25 of it to get to level 2.” Raven mused as he moved onto the creature’s corpse, carefully pulling out the two still embedded arrows before glancing at the broken one. Sighing at the loss. “Now…for the core.”

He pulled up the video guide he had been watching, one that had told him where to find the creature in the first place. “So just open it up…and pull it out without breaking it huh?” he glanced at Discordia “Do you wanna do it?”

Her expression paled as she stared at the poor dead creature, shaking her head in response.

Raven chuckled “Better you look away then.” He said, whilst opening his inventory and pulling out the shortsword he had taken for himself “Let’s see…” he mumbled while turning the creature over, so it’s chest was facing the sky.

He waved off at the fog around them, it’s gleaming light bothering his eyes. Raven put the blade to the creature’s chest, slowly and carefully sinking it down through the fur, pelt then flesh. He gripped it with both hands, kneeling over the wildcat as he cut its chest open.

Until suddenly he felt something hard block the blade, unsure whether it was bone or rather the core itself he stopped and pulled the blade out. Setting the shortsword aside he then gripped the two flaps of torn flesh that were the long open wound he had cut. He spread the creature’s chest open, revealing the mess of blood, organs and bone within.

At the very bottom of that crevice, where he had stopped cutting. Was a gleaming orb of rainbow lights, a perfect sphere of either glass or crystal. He noted that the orb had strange blue veins attached to it, spreading out through the creature’s body alongside the veins protruding out of its very visible heart.

He carefully scraped off the veins, hearing gagging from behind him he almost gagged himself “Damnit don’t look if you’re going to belch!” he shouted back at Discordia.

“S-Sorry!” she whimpered back, out of sight.

Raven sighed as he returned to the task at hand, pushing his gloved fingers around the orb and inside the creature’s stomach. He was thankful he was wearing gloves, the sound of squelching blood and flesh alongside stretching muscles and bone was more than he had expected.

Slowly he began to pull the orb out, half of it still having the strange blue veins attached to it.

When suddenly the orb flashed with a bright light that travelled through the remaining veins…and the creature’s eyes opened wide.

“What the f-”

The wildcat hissed and screeched, back alive as it flapped its wings and began ravaging his gloves and vambraces with its clawed paws. Raven held tightly onto the core with one hand while fending off the cat’s claws and trying to scrape off the veins with the other.

“Do something!” he shouted back at Discordia, as she stared horrified by the scene. “God damnit!” Raven swore, as he got tired of the cat’s shaking and struggling. He suddenly grasped the cat by the neck, slamming its head down onto the ground and holding it tightly there.

He clenched his hand around its throat as it squirmed and hissed, choking it out. He held it still, putting all his weight on his right hand. As he carefully tore off the remaining veins sticking to the core, one by one scraping their ends off with the iron plating over his leather gloves.

As he did, he clearly heard the sound of someone leaning over and emptying their stomach through the end those fluids entered in the first place…Discordia was puking.

Raven dared not look back, more so as he was busy holding down a very angry revived magical creature with one hand while tearing out its insides with the other. Until finally he arrived at the last vein, as it glowed more brightly than the others, pulsating even, with force as it withheld the flow of energy alone.

Raven tore it off, pulling out the core with a loud grunt as he continued to hold onto the feline’s throat.

As it suddenly went completely still and silent.

“The fuck…was that about?...” Raven mumbled out in shock, as he slowly moved away from the cat’s corpse. Afraid it would jump at him once more.