Meanwhile across town Le0n was barely standing with the help of a broken spear, a bag full of poisoned food and drink. Kicking open the closed door of the guard’s barracks. Le0n double counted the six fallen hardcore members. They had been suspiciously standing in front of the door when he had arrived.

“Now all I have to do is kill the six remaining active players and avoid getting rid of the poisoned food. Piece of cake. Fwee-wee.” Le0n wisuled calling over a dog sized rat.

“Gainer or Goddard, whatever it is. Can you call me a mount? My legs are killing me.” Checking his health bar he would definitely need to stop by a fallback point. He would have soon, but he didn’t know when the guards might call a retreat and head back to base.

Area Alert! Guardmen’s Rally, The captain of the guard has found the person responsible for unleashing a plague of monsters on the city and is pursuing the suspect believed to be the person responsible for a sudden wave of crime. Effect: all city guards will receive a 21% boost in stats for the next 21 hours. Rest assured you are in safe hands.

“Well, let’s just hope that Marlow doesn’t get caught.” Le0n said, looking down at the oversized rat. The rat seemed to straight into his soul judging and weighing him.

After that awkward moment the large rat squeaked. A few seconds later a rat squad came lumbering out of an alleyway.

Standing up Marlow stood ready, hefting his spear he checked its durability. He would need it, if he wanted his plan to work. The Captain was obviously much stronger than him and faster. There was no way he could out right fight him, even without the twenty one stat increase, so the best option was to of course run away. Snatching his flute he played a single note.

“FWEEE!” Checking his new mini map he could see a few dozen rat squads closing in on his position. Good now he just had to last against-

Health -120.

In a blink of an eye the Captain was standing right in front of him. Followed up by a brutal back hand sending him flying across the street and into a nearby food stand.

“Holy smokes, give a guy some breathin-” No soon then Marlow started speaking did the Captain appear with one armored hand firmly grasped around his neck lifting Marlow up and out of the cabbage stand.

“Do you know the amount of paperwork I'm going to have to fill out? Because of you and your shenanigans.” Grumped the Captain, waiting for a response from his victim that he was choking.

“No you don’t, of course you don’t you adventures never think about us. Only the next big thing. Next level, next quest, next zone. I’m going to make sure you don’t see the light of day for a very long time. After I ensure you don’t have any more monsters laying around in the shadows. Is that understood!”

“Yes- sir.”

“Good.” The Captain said, pulling out a pair of manacles from his pocket and swiftly slapping them on with one hand. Dropping him to the ground unceremoniously. Before pulling out another pair and fastening them around his legs.

“Come on, legs go clean up the mess you’ve made.” Captain said, fastening a chain collar around Marlow's neck. The Captain nodded, then took off. Carrying Marlow under one arm.

Marlow could only guess at the Captain’s top speed, but at the rate his mini map was going and his constant notifications of his rats being killed. He could only guess that they must be a blur to anyone looking on.

Quest alert: For a noble cause III (Chainquest). 3/4 objectives complete! Objectives remaining: Objective 1) Stop the guild ‘Hardcores’ from completing their elaborate heist. 2) Find and retrieve Opal. 3) Slay any activity members of the guild ‘Hardcores’ 152/200, only 6 active players remaining. 4) Find the guild quarters of ‘Hardcores’.

Eventually the Captain slowed down from a nushass inducing state to a light jog. Dropping Marlow on the ground as the Captain chose to go all out on the remaining wave of rodents.

Attempting to stand was met with pain as Marlow’s broken body refused to move the heavy chains. Groning he rolled over feeling the ruff chain slither across his body. Grasping at his belt he felt his flute missing along with his spear.

“Ninety four present of the way there. You know lad, if you were on the side of the law. Well you sure are putting criminals through the ringer. Too bad you chose poorly. What was the purpose for coming here anyways, for gold? Power? Fame? Well you ain’t finding it here most of your kin already left, taking most of that with them. Not to worry lad, we’ll get your head screwed on right.” The Captain said, wiping off the remaining blood on a civilian’s dark cloak.

Only 5 active remaining players.

“Captain Blas, by I live and breathe. Been a while since I last saw you, you old wind bag.”

Dawn crested the horizon, light shot afterward poured down on the messy streets. Illuminating the battles that took place over night for all the world to see. Including the figure who slowly clapped at the massacre.

“Headshot, did you enjoy your rehabilitation!”

“No, I can’t say that I did. I just wanted to say that you’ve gotten the wrong man. You for as much as I despise you. I want you to know that you're partly in the wrong! Yes, surprising I know.” Headshot smiled, revealing his oddly shining white teeth.

“Though I can not take all the credit, most of which is due to my guild. I would like to inform you that we the Hardcores will be taking over guard for the city. No longer will we be the cruel joke hated on by the game for pushing the limits. We will run this town and gain all the glory and fame that comes with it, because we’ve been trampled and shoveled to the side. SO I BELIEVE IT’S OUR TIME IN THE SPOTLIGHT!” Headshot gleefully exclaimed with an evil chackul coming on at the end.

“Though, it’s too bad you won’t be around to see it. Get him, boys.” Stepping from the shadows, the three rogues attacked the Captain. Flinging knives, caltrops, and surprisingly a large hook tied to a lengthy piece of rope.

Blas in one swift motion spun chrouting down. Drawing his blade he batted away a thrown knife with his sheath. He twisted and caught the hook on his outstretched blade, flicking it once disarming the rogue. Causing a nasty rope burn on the criminal. Picking up two missed knives Blas hucked at the rope burn victim and the not so knife guy.

Only 3 active remaining players.

“You just killed him, hey that’s not allowed.”

“We’re breaking the law and that’s what you're worried about! Imbeciles!” Headshot shouted at his remaining lackies. Stepping into the battlefield flourishing a sword and dagger. Headshot hesitated before bowing his head.

From Marlow’s uncomfortable position he could see Headshot muttering something. As soon as his lips stopped moving the two remaining lackeys slumped to the ground and Headshot took off like a bullet aming his blade at the Captain’s heart.

The Blas’s glowing chestplate thrummed, which knocked Headshots’s blade off course. Blas flicked his wrist, his sword spun counterclockwise, disarming Headshot. With forward momentum carrying him Headshot swung his dagger in a wide arch, catching it on Blas’s guaranteed hand severing a leather strap before digging itself into his flesh.

“I bet good money on it. Your chestplate is enchanted with knocking anything fatal off course, why I guess I would make a fine trope for all the trouble you’ve caused us.”

“I guess you're smarter than you let on. You clearly have the ruthlessness to run a business effectively, too bad you are putting your talents to waste tuning a thieves guild.”

“Funny that you mentioned that I was a manager at a major company before all this but hey I’m not here to monologue.” Headshot said, grabbing the captain's wrist and twisting out of place one to realize that the sword had planted itself in his shin.

The captain dropping Marlow swung his fist into headshots gut only to knee him in the face as he hunched over.

“Are you done yet? Because I don’t want to keep my fiancé’s wait tonight, she's probably worried sick about me right now.”

“Hehe…” Headshot’s bloody smile told Blas everything he needed to know. Faster than any human could ever run he took off running.

“No listen here little tamer beast. I know that you’ve tried to disrupt my plan today. But know that you are fishing in a much deeper lake then you realize, so run away for now before the sharks get back to playing.” Headshot said taking out a bottle with red liquid.

“Just know that when we cross paths, you better have some good loot for us or join us.”