Congratulations! You’ve acquired….

Darkwick Wood (32)

With a grunt of exertion, Kazim pulled the Woodcutter's Axe from the thick trunk of a Darwick tree. He raised it as he gripped the axe’s rough, wooden handle through his Basic Gloves before he brought it forward once more.

Congratulations! You’ve acquired….

Darkwick Wood (33)

He allowed the axe to hang from the tree by its blade before he shook his aching arms and wiped his face with a hand. A mix of sweat and light rain that poured from the grey sky left it drenched.

Just another day in The Murk. Several stumps and fallen trunks decorated his position in the Darkwick Woods. He had found the perfect spot, flat solid ground that was away from the swamps and held a plentiful amount of short trees. Although, fat drops of rain pelted him occasionally as they gathered size on large green leaves. The problem was alleviated once he had finally taken down several of the trees.

He wondered if Berry was finding everything fine. It was his first time doing a quest of this sort so he had no idea how gathering wood worked. The High Mage hadn’t known either. Having an axe was common sense but what to do after left them uncertain.

Mistress Fury kept her lips sealed when they had asked, as usual. Unless it was beast, the stout woman rarely talked of the game’s intricacies, likely to allow players to learn and experience it for themselves.

Kazim figured it out the moment the axe’s blade met a tree. After one gained an axe, a chop at a tree created one ‘piece’ of that wood, which took the form of wooden planks in the inventory. Ten chops was all a tree seemed to be able to take before it timbered down. He had found that he could collect the fallen trunks too, but they took about twenty slots in his fifty slot inventory. Silver Wind itself took up ten slots!

Awoooooooo! A wolf howled in the distance. Kazim instinctively passed a hand over the Epic sword as he scanned the woods. It rested at his hip in his newly bought black, leather scabbard. Scabbards seemed to be rarely used and rightly so. Players could quickly open inventories and equip whatever they wanted in a blink, so most found them a waste of money if not solely used for looks. He wasn’t one to waste money, but he found the gleaming weapon so beautiful that he couldn’t resist.

The sword was useless but Epic. In a city full of newbies and growing players, a sword like SIlver Wind garnered immediate looks. Players who happened to come too close when he exited the city with Berry, wore widened eyes and took second glances which was nothing short of satisfying.

Scabbards had one drawback, however, and one he hadn’t known until he met Gale. Items outside you’re inventory could be stolen, which seemed obvious the more he thought about it. Anyone with a class that could use short swords, could swipe the sword right from his hip. Thankfully, only warrior classes could use short swords and he was the lone warrior in the city as far as he knew. Class restrictions wouldn’t stop thieves, however.

The woods were silent save for the pouring rain and with no players around to show off to, the only reason he truly had Silver Wind at his hip then, was in the hopes that he could witness just how useless it really was.

“K-Kazim!” He spotted Berry bounding towards him from between some trees. One hand held a cloth bundle to her chest while the other raised the wool of her soaked dress for easier running. Kazim averted his eyes from the smooth, white legs that showed.

“Awesome! You didn’t find any trouble, did you?” She shook her head as she stopped in front of him, panting.

“N-no, not at all.” She said, her quiet voice nearly drowned out by the rain. She adjusted her hat. Even with its wide brim, the rain had found a way to her face. Strands of dirty blond hair stuck to it. “The roots were easy to find. The chamomile, not so much”

Kazim raised an eyebrow as he accepted the bundle of materials and stored it in his inventory. It was the first time he had heard her manage a full sentence without the nervous stammer.

She must’ve read his mind because her eyes began to look everywhere but him. She seemed to take in the fallen trunks and stumps before her brilliant blues stopped on the axe that still hung from the Darkwick tree. “Y-you’re not finding any trouble either, I hope?”

Kazim shook his head as he retrieved the axe by its wooden handle. I should become a lumberjack! He explained what he had learned about gathering wood as she took a seat on a nearby stump. Being soaked from head to toe didn’t seem to faze her. Kazim guessed anyone who stayed in The Murk long enough didn’t. She smoothed the skirt of her dress with her Valor hand as she crossed her legs. Valor level thirty, huh?

“S-so, that’s how it works..” Berry murmured after he finished explaining. He nodded as he gave the tree its final hit. The top half bearing the leaves shattered like glass as the bottom half, bearing the trunk, met the mud with a thud. “I c-can try a few swings if you’re feeling tired…”

He was feeling tired and his arms ached but he most definitely would never admit that. “I appreciate it but I got this. Plus, you can’t wield an axe.” He walked over to another tree nearby before aiming his axe against it. Another heavy swing granted him ‘piece’ number forty. Ten more to go.

“T-that’s actually not true” She said as she watched him. “The wood axe is considered a tool like shears and shovels, not a weapon. They are just used for tasks such as this so, anyone could use it …” He paused mid-swing, his eyes widening. “F-forget I even said anything…. I-I’d just tire easily after a few swings a-and you seem to be doing just fine! I-I’ll let you finish....”

Kazim nodded with an appreciative smile before he finished his swing. So, tools were separate from weapons and could be equipped by whoever. They likely didn’t pack any sort of punch against beasts either if they were just made to do tasks.

“There’s so much I don’t know..” He said, more to himself. Fury was proving right by every minute. It was time he stopped being mindless and asked more questions. The sheepish High Mage was close in Valor but she already seemed know her stuff, more than he did at least. “..Like what’s up with High Mage and Stone Mages? What’s the actual difference?”

Berry’s eyes lit up at the sudden question as she ceased picking at something on the hem of her dress. “O-oh that has a simple answer. Stone Mages need a mineral called Chasm in order to use magic, and thus, their skills. H-high Mages don’t need the stone but we must have the right surroundings in order to execute a skill”

So that’s why Nyx always wore that necklace! Although, it didn’t explain why she always hid it. The same stone..the Chasm, must be what Mother held as well. Silver Wind has one too. “What do you mean by the right...surroundings?” He finally asked.

She nodded as if expecting the question, her eyes bright. It was the most energy he’d ever seen from her. She must be one of those quiet, walking encyclopedia types who gravitated towards knowledge and enjoyed sharing it.

“It is just as I say. Take my Blessing, Gnarled Roots, for example..” She began as a smooth curved, wooden staff appeared in her hands. She crossed her legs on the stump and raised it as her display winked out. “If I use Gnarled Roots in the middle of an ocean, it likely wouldn’t activate. But in the middle of a forest..”

Gnarled Roots: Surprise your foe with menacing roots from underground! If there are no foes in sight, surround yourself with them instead, for a defensive shield!

Kazim nearly threw the axe in fright as several thick, jagged, and thorny roots erupted from the ground in a ring around her and the stump. They stood erect and almost as tall as him. Her way of explaining gave him an unnecessary scare but he finally understood the difference.

“So, you High Mages have it tough, huh? Where Stone Mages can equip whatever Blessings they want with that Chasm, you guys have to consider your locations..” He began as Berry lowered her staff gingerly. The roots shattered in response, the resulting debris turning to glass. “...My friend, Nyx, is a Stone Mage. She favors Blaze skills but I think having Greenwind, because air is obviously everywhere, and a variety of different elements is what a High Mage should seek….Right?”

Berry nodded, eyes downcast. “Y-yes, you’re correct. But,..I-I’ve been playing for about a month now and along with my ultimate, Gnarled Roots is the only Blessing I’ve learned…I attended the Conservatory for time b-but….It wasn’t for me...”

The Conservatory was an educational institution up north for mage class players. Nyx had apparently graduated from there.

“Ha! It could be worse!” Kazim boomed as he delivered swing number fifty and the tree came tumbling down. He crashed by a stump next to Berry’s afterward, as he rubbed his slick arms. “You could be a Wrath Knight, the rarest and apparently one of the most powerful warrior classes, and have one Blessing...that being your ult!”

He expected to see pity in her eyes but instead she studied him under the rain with no expression. “Why….What made you join Helm.Online?” Kazim, taken aback by the question, studied her in return. She waved her hands in flustered innocence. “I-I’m j-just curious!”

“...To be the best, of course.” He said as he stood and drew Silver Wind by its silver hilt. The blade’s white gleam refused to falter, even in the rain. “It started with me getting sick of hearing of this damn game, but now….it's about the challenge. H.O presents one I’ve never encountered, one that continues to discourage me at every turn, but I won’t give in….The moment this game gives me the edge I need, I’m running with it, right to the top!”

“....S-so you want to become Adventurer King?” She asked, hesitantly.

Kazim blinked. He had forgotten the Adventurer King, the leader of The Tribunal, was widely considered the best player in the game. He didn’t even know who the current king was! Was it Salvatore? He faintly remembered seeing the quote by the player after he respawned.

Truthfully, he didn’t care. One didn’t need to be a king to be the best in his eyes and he had no desire to babysit others. “No, not exactly...I…..Enough about me. How about you? What made you join?”

She jumped as if she’d been poked, averting her eyes. The young lady seemed to enjoy learning about new things but that couldn’t be the only thing that drew her to such a realistic game. With all the fidgeting and nervousness, he couldn’t fathom why she was even here.

“W-well,...I have a f-friend named Alex wh-”

Deep, threatening growls echoed through the clearing as three bulky direwolves with light, dark green coats slowly stalked them among the trees that still stood. Berry nearly fell on her face as she practically flew over to him.

“Took you guys long enough!” He told the wolves as he retrieved Mudslinger. Just in case. “I need to your help with testing my new toy.”

“Y-you knew about t-them?!” Berry exclaimed from behind him. She had one hand on her staff which pointed towards the wolves, while the other frantically tried to remove wet hair plastered to her face.

“I heard them earlier, sorry” He turned to the High Mage with a look of half-regret, half-eagerness. “I need to test this sword’s ability…..We can handle this. Together.”

The personable girl’s face contorted in what could only be a frightened smile. Her staff shook as her eyes darted from each wolf and back.

“Berry!” That seemed to wake her up and she finally turned to him, reluctantly. “I don’t plan on getting mauled by some wolves and neither should you!” The wolves had surrounded them then, among the fallen trunks and stumps. He aimed Mudslinger’s dirt speckled blade at one and Silver Wind at the other. Berry met his back in order to aim her staff at the last one she faced in his blind spot. Her body shook against his and he had no time to check if she really was ready.

The wolf who held his Epic sword’s gaze charged towards him.

With an ardent smile and arms that ached, Kazim brought Silver Wind down in a flash of radiant light.

_____________________________________________________________________

“Will that be all the Lady Noir requires?” A gorgeous red elf waitress asked at the opened door of a small room. She paused in pulling a large, copper tub from it, her thin body bent in a wool dress and apron. Her sculpted face looked towards a brown skinned adventurer who leaned against a large, gold chest. She waited patiently for an answer, even as the lady adventurer seemed to only take in the rain that pelted the glass of a small window.

Troubled and distracted, Noir lost the question in the jumbling sea of her mind as she ran a hand through her braids which rested over her shoulder in a ponytail. She turned to the red elf anyway and threw out whatever came to her mind first.

“Yes, yes. That’ll be all, Rubarae. Thank you” It seemed to be the right answer because the red elf nodded with a small smile, her crimson locks bouncing around stiff, pointed ears. The sound of scraping wood resumed as she pulled the water filled tub from the room and closed the door gently.

Oh, how it felt good to be clean again! She sniffed her hair to once again take in the herbal scent of the soap Rubarae had provided. That same pleasant smell wafted through the rest of the small room she shared with Nyx at the Easing Hand.

It was a small room with bland green walls. Two small beds rested in the corners of the room, opposite of one another. The lone window, where she was, stood in between. Along with what usually should be a small nightstand but Noir had quickly gotten that moved to make space for her chest. Clothes and various other garments decorated the room, mostly on Nyx’s side. Her bed unmade, Noir always wondered how someone as stately and well put as her Stone Mage neglected to simply make her bed.

She swiftly slipped off the chest and twirled her ankle, gently. The injury from earlier was all but a distant memory. A candle and an empty, glass flask rested on the small nightstand whose new home was next to the door. Noir had watched Nyx crush roots and a pretty, white flower before mixing them in some water and holding them under a fire. The rancid, green liquid had tasted like dirt but the pain in her ankle had disappeared almost immediately.

After that, she had Rubarae bring up a tub and enjoyed a quiet bath as she mulled over all of her problems. Most of them, at first, had to do with Kazim. She thought of what she would say when they talked before mulling over why she even had him join in the first place.

Was it the right decision? Her impatience was what led to his recruiting in the first place. Every guild needed at least one warrior class to hold focus and he was a Wrath Knight, nonetheless! He was a talent, but maybe it would have been best to leave him be and allow him to grow stronger before joining the guild. At such a low Valor, he was already down a life and there was a high chance he’d face worse than the Murkian Gator before even reaching one hundred. Warriors rarely lasted with their roles as primary beast aggravators. There were exceptions here and there, but most died three times before seeing five hundred.

Noir’s problems had expanded astronomically, when during her bath, a sealed envelope had quietly slipped under her door.

It beared The Tribunal’s seal.

Shock in hand, she had leaped from the tub without a care in the world and flung the door open. The Tribunal never bothered her unless something was amiss, so whoever she met would give her answers.

She had been surprised to not find a Wind Guard or Rising Hammer Warden, but instead the elf waitress Runabrae.

“A s-scary little boy wearing a wolf’s pelt on his head, gave this to me and told me to deliver it to the Lady Noir’s room….quietly” She had said, her face redder than a beet. Noir had thanked her and nearly slammed the door upon realizing why the elf had blushed. Thank the winds the elf had been the only one in the hall as was usually the case before sunset. Her naked display would have been the talk of the city!

She shook her head of the memory and walked to the nightstand. She pulled open one of two drawers and retrieved the letter. There was no need to read it another five times to know that chaos had returned.

The sly dogs! Had them all fooled into thinking they were done for while working in the shadows with seals to who knows what. The only reason The Tribunal even knew was because of some...Necromancer betrayer?! No one ever flipped sides!

The time for thinking was gone. She needed to act, fast. If chaos had returned, then she was a prime target.

Flipping over the letter, she read its back several more times. It contained instructions to reaching an underground hideout in the Darkwick Woods. If the boy who delivered the letter really was wearing a wolf pelt, then she knew exactly who she’d end up meeting there.

Letter and envelope went to her inventory as she returned to her chest and pulled it closer to her bed. She sat on the feather mattress before she opened it, raising her Valor hand near its keyhole which held the numbers ‘999’. Her hand flashed before the chest popped open and a familiar display covered her face.

On the surface, the guildmaster’s chest was just another fifty slot inventory for holding things but it was more than that. It was proof that one had reached the maximum rank in H.O. When she reached the level, the chest was the first thing that had appeared before her.

It was invulnerable and immune to any Blessings. Some Chaoswalkers had Blessings that could do the unthinkable, steal from unfortunate player’s inventories without them even knowing or slip in hefty items to over encumber them.

But not to a guildmaster’s chest. It was the best thing she owned. She essentially had one hundred inventory slots to store a variety of different items, a huge advantage over others.

Unfortunately, the chest weighed a ton and it could not be moved by any other means as it was immune. Thankfully, she had come across a talisman that helped with this. A small, yellow gemmed ring that rested on her Valor hand along with the similar looking Talisman of Lighting Resistance.

Ring Of Favoritism (Valor Req. 500) (Ring): Mark an item, then teleport to it using this ring! If it fails, the item was destroyed!

Noir had marked a yellow cloth that was wrapped around one of the chests iron, side handles. That way, she could avoid the chests immunity while still being able to teleport to it.

Scanning the chest inventory, she searched her various items, mostly talismans, in search of a particular one. Talismans held highly unique abilities so they were always her favorites to keep. She liked to carry around her extras in armor and weapons. The rest were sold for emeralds along with any Blessings she came across. One of her main goals was to save up in the hopes of getting a guildhouse built in Olympia. Not another local one, she had no interest in teaching newcomers, but one solely for Swamp Eater.

House hunting can wait. For how long, she did not know. Her eyes stopped on a spindly looking grey necklace with a smooth, round amulet that seemed to be covered in cobwebs.

[Trap] Web Of Thievery (Valor Req. 700) (Necklace): Place in a enclosed, interior space to trap up to four people in a tangle of spider web!

She retrieved the necklace before she slammed its amulet into the green wall. It shattered as thick, white strands of spider’s web shot out in all directions. It covered everything. From the walls, windows, and floor. Every corner and crevice was covered in silk that only she, would be able to see.

That is, until it triggered.

Noir closed her chest before returning it to its place.

She didn’t get caught in any of the web as she searched around the room, her eyes scanning for a particular spot. Any sort of trap talisman or Blessing had a ‘weak point’, which could be struck to destroy the trap or Blessing at any time. She needed to make sure if her intuition was wrong, she’d have a way of saving the poor soul that happened upon her room.

Her eyes glossed over a space above the window. She took a second look and smiled. A circle glowed red briefly before disappearing. Similar to the ‘Killing Blow’. She waited for it to do so once more before she opened her inventory and exited the room. A twist of the door’s warm knob told her it was still unlocked. Good.

It was time to make some other changes.

A silly tunic wouldn’t stop a beam of shade from searing a hole into her chest.

_____________________________________________________________________

Kazim chugged down some ale voraciously before he took in the Easing Hand’s common room. It was every bit as busy as the sounds coming from outside it and more. Players and NPC’s mingled among a constant stream of female red elves in long aprons, trays of food and drink held high above their crimson hair. The lanky male elves, who shared their female counterparts sculpted faces and hair, polished off empty tables with rags or told jokes and stories to adventurers who listened. They were a very sociable race. The Easing Hand was not alone in fully employing the outgoing beings in their inns.

The Easing Hand's innkeeper, Master Freeks, watched in silence from behind a wide counter that held adventurers of its own on wooden stools. He was tall and plump, with hairy arms crossed across his chest. His large, hairless head held beady eyes that studied his workers, a calm frown shifting his bushy mustache. Kazim didn’t know how a frown could be calm but the Chas’danians were the masters of composure.

Kazim returned his attention to his table near the inn’s double doors, where two people he did not forsee liking one another, talked with each other across from him enthusiastically.

“Nasty boys and girls, they are. Always fighting each other like dogs instead of playing the game! I don’t blame you one bit for withdrawing from The Conservatory. Not everyone can bear all the infighting that place thrives off” Nyx said, nose raised proudly. Fresh and free of muck, she sported her usual white blouse, feathered cap, dark breeches, and green half cloak. She raised a gloved finger as she continued. “To be truthful, a better experience in H.O can found outside of that insufferable place”

“But…you...” Berry began, timidly. She placed her wizard hat on the table gingerly in between their cups of ale. While still as nervous about everything as ever, she never seemed to stammer with Nyx. “...You beared it all. You graduated from there and now you’re nearly five-hundred Valor! That’s amazing, Nyx!...I can’t possibly get stronger without The Conservatory….I’ll never find Alex as I am now”

Alex was her best friend from the real world and was addicted to the game. A month ago, He had dared the High Mage to join the game and try to find him, probably knowing full well his timid friend would never even attempt. Yet here she was, playing the game in secret in order to find and surprise him. Kazim had always thought she seemed way out of her element in H.O. Her story definitely confirmed it.

Although, she isn’t bad. Kazim checked his right arm which was now completely bandaged, save for his Valor hand. She had saved him with those Gnarled Roots of hers when one of the wolve's teeth met his arm. She had even bandaged it herself after they took out the rest of the wolves.

He owed her one. He also owed Helm.Online an apology.

Never again would he doubt the game. If the damn game said a sword only worked against the chaos, then it damn sure only worked against the chaos!

The moment Silver Wind’s blade would have met direwolf, it instead passed through the wolf as if it wasn’t even there. He had been too slow to activate Rage Mode.

His arm hadn’t been too happy about that.

Remembering caused him to remember the pain. He instinctively reached for his sword and was surprised to find Mudslingers rough hilt instead of Silver Wind’s. He forgot he had banished the disgraceful Epic back to his inventory earlier in anger. What was he going to do with the damn thing?

“Of course you’ll find him” Nyx said, placing her gloved hand on Berry’s shoulder. “The moment you doubt yourself, is the moment you lose your path towards him. Weak or strong, you won’t find your way looking down on yourself all the time. You must hold your head high! As a mage should!”

The High Mage nodded before doing just that in attempt to mimic how Nyx always looked down on people through her nose. It was an attempt that made her look less confident and more silly. It earned a rare giggle from the Stone Mage which in turn, earned an unheard of laugh from Berry. They were like two completely different people.

While he found their conversation delightful, something Nyx spoke of earlier still bothered him. He stopped slouching from his wooden chair so he could lean on the table.

“While your budding friendship is cute and all...What you said earlier about Noir suspicions is still bothering me…..Also, you never thanked me for getting those materials.” Nyx frowned while Berry just inclined her head. The interruption was not welcomed. Kazim scratched the back of his neck, nonchalantly.

“As far as I am concerned, Berry here is the one who acquired the materials while you nearly died playing with swords!” Nyx snapped. Berry coughed, looking everywhere but at him. “One death wasn’t enough was it? Just a piece of work, you are!”

Kazim audibly groaned, resting his head on the desk. He needed back up. “Gale, help”

“Wooo! Read it and weep boys!” Gale exclaimed from the table to his immediate right. It was clustered with standing adventurers who sounded audible groans of their own as Gale held his arms out above a cup, some two six-sided die, and a lot of emeralds. He wore his usual dark, green assassins cloak. Its triangular fronted hood behind his neck to reveal his bald head which shined under the lantern light. “Better yet, show me the money!”

“Gale!” Kazim called, turning his head so he could meet the assassin’s eye. “It’s important.”

“Alright, Alright.” He said before he gathered his cup, die, and winnings. He shrugged off protests and more challenges as he sauntered over to their table. The crowd of players began to disperse. “Next time gents, next time!.........Alright, listen here! The world better be ending or something! I was making extra bank off these idiots today thanks to the rain!”

“The suspicious individuals.” Was all Kazim said against the table as Gale took a seat next to him.

“Did you have fun scamming others out of their money?” Nyx asked Gale with crossed arms. “It’s not proper”

“It’s not proper” Gale mimicked in a high pitch voice. Kazim lifted his head as Nyx furrowed her brows “Sorry, didn’t know I needed the queen’s approval! I don’t tell you what to do so fuck off and don’t tell me!”

“I was only...You...You insufferable little….!” Nyx stood with fire in her eyes, her chair nearly falling over. Gale held his arms out with a challenging yet mocking smile, his assassin’s cloak shaking with silent laughter. Berry looked from one to the other and back in sudden terror.

Kazim watched it all with calmness. He needed the Stone Mage to focus. Angry Nyx was good. An angry Nyx was always focused and no one got her angrier, as easily, as Gale.

“The suspicious adventurers, Nyx.” Kazim said again. “Tell me again.”

The Stone Mage whirled on him.

“..And you! You and these bloody ad-”

“Lower your voice, your majesty. They’re still over there” Gale murmured. All of them, except for a bewildered Berry quickly glanced at table closest to a small set of stairs.

It held two men. Both young. The first, a short and lean assassin, toyed with something in his inventory. He sported a tan, collared lightweight vest and red cloak which shielded his hard face and short, raven-like hair. Various daggers and knives decorated the table as the man seemed to be sorting or cleaning his inventory of junk. Like his face, there was an air of hardness coming from. One could easily tell he took a lot of matters seriously, maybe too much so.

His companion was the complete opposite, in demeanor that is. A jolly looking man with a similar hard face. The two must be brothers because the man held similar short, raven-like hair and lean stature. Although, he was much taller. He sported a similar lightweight vest and hooded cloak that he had unhooded. His jovial smile never left his face as he took in the chaos of the common room with a gleeful sort of twinkle in his dark gaze. A newbie.

Nyx sighed as she regained her seat. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about. After her bath, Noir asked me speak with them without giving a reason other than that they were ‘suspicious’. I did and found them fine…..Brandon and Landon were their names. They’re from Fauna and just arrived in the city a couple of days ago to level….Just a veteran player and his noob brother playing the game together. End of story.” She turned to Berry who almost leaped from her chair in response. “Apologies. I didn't mean to scare you or show this side of me. The only way to face down these two..these two muscle brains!...Is by bringing my own heat”

“I-its fine, really” Berry squeaked, waving her hands. There’s the stammer! “I-I’ve never interacted w-with a guild before s-so this has all been quite fascinating”

Gale whirled on Berry as if seeing her for the first time which was probably the case. Someone like her could easily disappear in a shouting match.

“Wha-? Who’s this wholesome bundle of cuteness?!” Kazim quickly explained. “Is it just a natural occurrence for women just to flock to you or something?” Kazim shrugged as the bald assassin turned back to the newcomer. “The name is Gale! Who might I have the pleasure of meeting?”

“B-Berry” The High Mage reluctantly shook the assassin’s hand. “The p-pleasure is mine”

Kazim cleared his throat as he gathered his thoughts. “Anyway...While you did find them fine, doesn’t it seem….out of nowhere? Like all of sudden, Noir just asks you to investigate two random adventurers?”

“She’s always had an intuition for things...maybe she saw them do something suspicious. Maybe they’re planning to hurt someone?” Nyx said, gloved hand on chin.

“Nah, you always take Noir’s callous side too lightly.” Gale chimed in as he picked at something behind his ear. “She wouldn’t care about the safety of someone outside of Swamp Eater…. She probably saw them scouting out the chest!”

Callous? Kazim didn’t think callous and Noir could ever be in the same sentence. She had a strong personality, sure, but he’d never call her callous.

A red elf, Kazim thought he had heard Nyx call her Rubarae, appeared to refill their cups with ale and hand Gale a new cup who was all too happy to thank her and watch her behind as she walked away. Kazim himself had to force his eyes from following the assassin's.

He spoke once she was out of earshot. “Why would someone want to steal that heavy ass chest? Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t she the only one who can open it?”

“That is correct”

It was Swamp Eater’s turn to nearly leap out of their chairs as Noir appeared at their table. Sneak up on us, will ya?! To his surprise, Berry appeared calm, taking in their reactions to the newcomer and nodding as if she decided that Noir was their guildmaster.

“Sick armor!” Gale boomed as Noir pulled a chair from a nearby, empty table and proceeded to take a seat next to Kazim. He ceased trying to meet her brown gaze and instead took in the new armor she wore.

No longer did she wear the leather tunic, but a dark, light bodyguard chestplate of what seemed to be amethyst. The colors of it seemed to swirl and pulse. The patterns of the swirls and shading constantly changed as if the armor itself were alive and breathing. She still wore that yellow bandana and tribal looking pants but the armor was all he could see.

It was beautiful looking but awe and a little bit of jealousy, quickly turned to questions. Why the sudden change? Did her tunic break?

“Oh you just have to rub in your max rankedness every so often, yes?” Nyx teased with a smile.

“It’s nothing much, I-”

Whatever their guildmaster was going to say was cut short, as her eyes locked onto Berry. The High Mage didn’t jump, but her eyes did widen.

“Who..is she?” Noir finally asked, eyeing the three of them. Kazim opened his mouth to explain but Gale beat him too it. The assassin added his own intimate dramatics, of course, that led to Kazim kicking from under the table.

“Ow! Sorry for trying to spice up your boring ass encounter!” Gale said as he rubbed his shin. Kazim just gave him a look. The one thing he didn’t need with Noir was a misunderstanding.

Even with the obvious dramatics, Noir raised an eyebrow his way. Her mouth opened to say something but closed as Berry suddenly stood.

“I t-think I should get going” She said as she smoothed out the bottom of her dress and donned her hat. Afterward her eyes landed on Kazim. “I really do appreciate your help today. I think I’ll turn in the quest and swing by here later to deliver your half of the emeralds”

Kazim waved that off. “Nonsense. Your quest. Your money. Plus, thanks to you, I went up a Valor and kept my arm intact….I won’t forget that, Berry. I owe you one.”

“N-no, no. You helped...You deserve...you don’t owe me any…” Berry sighed and turned to Nyx. “Why do I get the feeling nothing I’ll say will change his mind?”

Nyx tapped her temple. “Muscle brains….They find a stance on something and stick with it, no matter what”

Insult aside, Nyx was right. Kazim would not change his mind. He owed Berry an arm and something told him she’d need whatever emeralds she earned more than him if she was going to venture out in search of her friend.

After bidding farewell, even hugging Nyx and introducing herself to Noir, the High Mage scampered out and their table fell to silence until Gale finally opened his mouth.

“Soooo, what’s up with these players? You got some dirt on them or something?” He asked Noir.

“Speaking of which,....where did they go?” Nyx suddenly said. Almost in unison, they turned towards the table below the stairs. It was empty, save for a male red elf who began to wipe down the table and chairs with a white cloth.

Something soft and small suddenly wrapped around his hands. He nearly yelped when he realized it was Noir’s hand!

“We can discuss those two later. For now, me and Kazim need to discuss something upstairs….alone” She finally said. A calm expression on her face as if she didn’t just drop a bomb on the table.

Arms crossed, Nyx raised an eyebrow as a small smile found a way on her face. No, it's not what you think!

“Bold one aren’t you?” Gale said with a sly smile. Oh god. Noir narrowed her eyes. “I-I mean...yes, we’ll be down here…..waiting…” In a lower voice, he added. “...Take all the time you need..”

_____________________________________________________________________

Kazim cautiously followed Noir upstairs. Thankfully, she had let go of his hand once they met the creaking stairs. The entire thing had left him confused. He had been mentally preparing himself all day for a shouting match, but then she goes and does that! Just what the hell were they about to do?!

As much as Gale seemed to boast about Kazim and egg him on whenever he could, he was never good with girls. What happened in a game, stayed in a game. Not to mention none of it was real in the end. Knowing all this always gave him a natural boost of confidence in virtual reality that was rarely seen from him in the real world.

Just like then. For some reason, Kazim’s eyes seemed to take in Noir and he opened his stupid mouth before he could stop himself. She usually had her braids down her back but he definitely liked the over the shoulder a lot better. “I...I like what you did with your hair”

Noir stopped and turned to him, her eyes narrowed. Kazim almost sank into the wood of the stairs in sheer regret and embarrassment before she suddenly smiled.

“Thanks! I like your new armor.” She said as they continued up, turning slightly to flick one of the scales “Really aggressive looking...got that Wrath Knight look going on, you know?”

“I guess. I don’t even know what the ‘Wrath Knight look’ is” Noir chucked.

“Me neither. But, it’s...nice” She said with a smile that reached her eyes.

“Thanks” Kazim said as he failed to meet her brown gaze. He never had trouble before but that her smile just then was too much.

They crossed the empty and stale hallway until they reached its end, where Noir’s room was. His and Gale’s room was right across from it behind an identical looking, rough wooden door.

“Hey….” He suddenly said. Noir paused in reaching for her door and turned to him, her brown gaze studying him in the dimness of the hallway “I still don’t quite get what made you upset with me, but whatever it was, I’m sorry. I’m also sorry for reacting in anger. It was unnecessary.”

“You really don’t know why I was mad….?” She asked. Kazim noted the ‘was’ as he shook his head. It seemed she was over it too. Odd. “.....Don’t ever throw your life away again! You only have three! I’m max rank, for god's sake! Why throw those away for me when you’ve barely experienced the game?”

Ahh, I see. “You’re right. It won’t happen again”

To his surprise, she raised an eyebrow as if she didn’t expect the response. “Oh my. We got through that way nicer than I thought we would”

“Heh, go figure” He said as he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Glad that’s over.

Noir, however, still reached for the door.

“I just need to check something before we head back downstairs.” She said as she turned the smooth, bronze knob. Kazim shrugged. He guessed he’d just join her in the room as she checked for whatever. It was too late now to stop Gale and Nyx from misunderstanding. Might as well go with it too the end.

But as his guildmaster opened the door, Kazim wanted to once again sink into the floor. Instead Mudslinger was in his hand before he could even blink.

The entire room was a monstrous nightmare. It was covered in web, to the point where nothing resembling a modest room could even be seen. It blanketed the room in thick, white strands that found every nook and cranny the interior space possessed.

The spider nightmare brought alive wasn’t why he raised Mudslinger, however.

At the center of the room, bundled in a thick oval of web that hung suspended from the ceiling, rested two familiar men. Their arms and torso were covered in the web but Kazim eyes froze on their hard faces.

“W-What is the meaning of this?!” The Faunian player who was toying with his daggers exclaimed. “I-I’ll have you reported to the authorities if you don’t release us at once!”

The man’s once jovial looking brother, looked absolutely terrified. “W-woah, woah! Are we going to die?! Ma’am are you going to k-kill us?! I-I’m not ready to die!”

Kazim lowered his sword in absolute horror. That horror increased tremendously when turned back to his guildmaster. She watched the two men squirm and fight in their web bundles in a coldness he had never seen. Gale’s words echoed in his mind then. Callous. Was this the same woman?

Kazim found his voice, a strained version of it at least. “Noir?... What...What is this?!”

“Chaos has returned” She said, dispassionately. Her eyes met his. Any warmth the brown beauties once held, was left back in the hallway.

All that was left was a cold storm, ready to strike.

“Will you be ready for it, Kazim?”