Nine players slowly emerged from the shadows. Three at the front, and four at the back. There were two that waited off to the side, half in the shadows, but clearly waiting for an opportunity to strike.

The only weapon Sundome had was the Sky Beholds Spear. Not only that, but he was completely broke now. So if he used the potions given to him, he might need to borrow money from Wellington during the Were Demon Quest. He couldn't have that, unless it was absolutely necessary.

He slowed his walk to a stop and felt the heavy Sky Beholds Spear in his hand. He could carry it easy enough, but if he weilded it as it was, his movements would be slow, because he was not strong enough. Feeling it's weight in his hands, he had an idea.

None of the bandits spoke intially. They wanted the Sky Beholds Spear, or the silvers, or the Silver Bell. Finally, the man off to the side stepped into the light completely. His visage bore a resemblance to a hard man, one who might have lived during the rennasaince era, and he had a tanned face, and a thin long mustache.

"I am the leader of the Faluor Bandits, Simshi."  He said.

"We spawned in Faluor and attempted to rob eachother, but came to the understanding that by working together we could gain much more."  He gave a knowing smile, as if this confrontation was a forgone conclusion.

Sundome took the measure of the man. Faluor wasn't too far from Telling, and they had likely come here for the Were Demon Quest. They had missed out on the minor quest at Dourmoth, and were looking to make some extra money before attempting the 300 silvers quest of Yorkshire City.

He glanced at their weapons, all of which weren't cheap, but only a few were powered.

Fine, if they wished to rob him, he would repay them in kind.

"Simshi, if I hand over this spear, will you let me live?" He asked. He did not ask because he was afraid, but again only

because he would pay them in kind.

"Hah! Indeed we will. We are only accumulating wealth, and do not care whether you live today or die. Afterall, once we have your wealth, you will be even worse off than if you were dead."

"Oh, how so?" Perhaps Sundome might learn something about respawning. The game truly did have few instructions on actual game play. This made it more realistic. But surely there would be tutorials and forums containing such information, yet Sundome liked to learn within the game. The game itself was his tutorial. It was far more real this way.

"Don't tell him" The person on the other side of the street suddenly emerged from the shadows. She stepped into the light and her glistening long golden brown hair fell across her shoulders.  She had a freckled tan face and a slim waist.

She must be the number two.

What caught Sundome's eye was the twin daggers at her waist. He had noticed through observation that there were other ways to tell which weapons were powered than relying on the Comet Stick. The powered weapons had a slight aura, almost undetectable unless a person studied them carefully and compared them to regular weapons. Still, it was impossible to see just how powered the weapon was without the Comet Stick.

You like to play games with people eh? Fine, we will play a game. Sundome thought.

There were three people in front of him. One of them had a powered weapon. It was an axe. He could barely make out the writing on it's handle.  Lopper, what a gruesome name.

The three in front were standing close enough together, about the length of the spear. They were not yet in an attacking stance, as they hardly thought that he would attack. And he certainly didn't attack, at least not in the way they expected.

Sundome glanced once more at Simshi and the golden haired girl, giving her mischevious smile. Then he said "Fine, have the spear." He tossed the spear forward so that the three could easily lay hands on the shaft. While it was in the air, he quickly took two steps forward to close the distance. Even as the three reached out to grab the spear, Simshi suddenly shouted, "Watch out!"

But it was too late. The spear was caught by the three players but it was too heavy. They immediately fell back under its weight and it pinned the three of them down. Not only that, but it put them under stress so that they were panicking.

Sundome reached the man with the axe and put his boot into the man's chin. He then lifted the axe and put it on his back. The game these people wanted to play was robbing others, so he was happy to play it his own way.

The other three bandits at the back immediately attacked him. Swords slashed towards him. Sundome swung the axe with such speed towards the incoming swords that it shattered them one by one.  The swords dropped from their hands, and the three stared at their own hands which were trembling from the force of the axe against the swords.  

Sundome kicked out and took one of the men down and then used the butt of the axe on the head of another.  The last he finished with his elbow.  The whole thing was done in one smooth motion.

Simshi didn't move from his place on the side. They had obviously underestimated the chrome masked player, and he would be a fool to do so again. The golden haired girl was about to jump in to attack him but Simshi stopped her. "Lief" One word, most likely her name. The tanned leader of the Faluor Bandits vanished into the shadows. Lief followed but before she left, she paused for a bit, a despising look for the chrome masked man appeared on her face. Then she also turned and left.

The Faluor Bandits had an ongoing recruitment within the town of Faluor. This wouldn't be a huge loss. Their party had come forward to rob and quest all the way towards Yorkshire. Others had gone in different directions but many would be following towards Yorkshire and arrive soon. 

Simshi and Lief met up in the alley behind one of the many taverns in Yorkshire.

"Boss, what was that. We could have killed him!" She knew Simshi's strength, and her own was not far from it. Simshi had gone to the 7th level of the Recca 6 Config World's Pressure Challenge. In the weeks leading up to the release of Apocalypse Earth, many had done the pressure challenge as it was highly recommended for Recca 6 games. It would determine a basic strength level upon entering the game. 

The 7th level was no joke. 

"That spear was over 70% powered. I'm sure of it." Simshi said. His own Solemn Sword was 65%, and no one in his party could weild it except for him. Still, the spear that the chrome masked player used seemed even heavier. He recalled how he had paid 40 silvers for his Solemn Sword. Just how much was the Sky Beholds Spear worth? If he was not a leader of the Faluor Bandits, he would not have been able to gain 40 silvers in such a short time.

"We will have another opportunity." He said.

"I can send word and we could have 30 more people in a few days" Lief said.

"Yes, we could do that. But we may not need 30 people. If we strike at the right time, he will certainly be unable to deal with us." Simshi was thinking of the Were Demon Quest. It was possible they could get two big scores by tailing the chrome masked man.

"Still, it won't hurt." He continued. "Send a dove to Faluor."

**

Back where the other six bandits had been left at Sundome's mercy, they were all sprawled out unconscious. Sundome didn't hesitate to retrieve all of their silvers, as well as their weapons. In fact, he didn't leave them anything.

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In the end, he had two swords stuck in his belt, an axe on his back, and about 12 silvers in his pouch, and various potions, some dried herbs, and magical gems.

Without an ingame menu to carry such items, they were cumbersome. So he went into the nearest crowded tavern.  Negotiating directly with players would yeild the highest price. If took the items to a shop, he would get around half of their real value. 

He spotted a tavern called Lonesome Road not too far away. He made his way to the crowded tavern amidst stares from many players. He had 4 weapons, and his pouches were obviously weighed down with silvers and other treasures.

He had left the six bandits sprawled out in the street. He was interested to hear about why they preferred death over being robbed blind, but none of them would tell.

Within the Lonesome Road tavern, Sundome pushed his way through the crowd of twenty something players towards the only empty table in the room. Some people also followed him into the tavern from outside, so the place gathered quite a crowd.

Placing the two swords, and the Lopper Axe on the table, he also arranged the magical gems and the potions he had obtained from bandits into a nice formation. The only things he didn't display as such were the herbs and the Sky Beholds Spear, which he placed across his knees.  He also held onto the potions given to him by Miss Contess.

He signalled for a serving boy who was at another table to come. The boy glanced at Sundome, seeing his grisly aura and the mask, and then at all the weapons. Sundome had a narrow cape which ran down his back , and his clothes had the reek of battle. He looked more like a mercenary than a player.

"How would you like to make 10 bronze for an hour's work." Sundome asked him.  

The boy recovered from his shock at Sundome's appearance and he grinned while nodding.

"Very well.  You can gather everyone to buy these items here."  He pointed to the items on the table  "And these are the prices I want, if possible."  Sundome handed him a quickly scribbled note

"Also, do you know anything about magical gems?"

 "Hmm... I do."  The boys voice was weak, but then it grew stronger.  "Most of those are worth less than a silver except for the blue one.  It's worth at least 7 silvers."

Wow 7 silvers. Sundome mused to himself. He didn't know much about magical gem stones, or Spellcasting, which is what they were used for. Apparently, one needed to study to become proficient in the art of Spellcasting. He had heard a little bit from player gossip, but he himself hadn't taken much interest yet. He liked to focus on one thing at a time. Currently, he wanted two things, to pay off the Sky Beholds Spear, and to complete the Were Demon Quest. 

He let the boy begin the negotiations, which were somewhat like an auction with reserve prices. Sundome himself wanted to think. The Faluor Bandits would not be sitting idly.

The boy jumped up on the table and shouted out for everyone to hear.

"Items for sale. Items for sale.  There is a battle axe worthy of a name! There are potions and magical gems. Come quickly, all prices will be cheaper than the shops, guaranteed."

Some of the people who had followed Sundome into the tavern immediately gathered. They had guessed his purpose, and were the quickest to respond. Others looked their way, and might come to check it out.

This was a small auction, just a few items of note, but players often did this since joining Apocalypse Earth. It was a win win for everyone involved.

Sundome was lost in thought but he kept one eye on the table and the surrounding players. The Faluor Bandits likely had many more members. They also wouldn't take him lightly. And the leader, Simshi, didn't attack after seeing the quick battle. That meant he was smart, and cautious. He would want to have everything in his favour the next time they met.

Sundome guessed he might be up against 30 or more bandits the next time they met.

He thought of his options. He could join a party, or form a party. Or he could try to become scarce. Most likely the bandits would have some strong players next time.  

It was then that he noticed the boy was arguing with a weasel headed man. He looked to be in his thirties. The two were arguing over the price of one of the magical gems. Suddenly the weasel headed man grabbed the magical gem and backed up getting ready to run.  He had a wild look in his eyes.

His eyes were on Sundome as if he was seeing if there would be a reaction. The man seemed to enjoy his little ruse. A klepto who liked to see the expressions of the people who he stole from before running away. It's almost like he was unsure if he could get away but still did it anyway. He couldn't help himself.

Sundome didn't get up. The man had taken a magical gem that was worth maybe 60 bronze. They had been arguing about it and the man wasn't willing to pay more than 35 bronze.

Sundome could get up and chase, or he could possibly hit the man with a magical gem stone and knock him out. Either way though, the table was between the two, and if he made chase, likely his other items would be taken.

The weasel face man had calculated this. He bet his life that Sundome wouldn't do anything.  Still he wasn't entirely sure.  He must be getting quite the rush from all this.

After looking at the man for a little while, a cold glint arose in Sundome's eyes.

"That is a loan. One day I will take payment of 200 silvers for it."

He already memorized the man's face, his demeanor, his height, and the way he stood. Even if the man changed his appearance somehow, he would not escape the eyes of Sundome when he saw him again.

The man's name was Jarmung.

Jarmung turned and fled. All of the people around eyed Sundome and let the details of that matter sink into their heads. Then another person grabbed for a potion, but Sundome had been expecting something like this.

He lifted the Sky Behold's Spear and swung it just inches above the table. At the same time he said "Jump!" to the boy.

The boy instinctively jumped as high as he could. The blade of the Sky Beholds Spear reached the man's hand just as he got ahold of the potion.  Under the gaze of everyone present, the man's hand and part of his forearm was severed cleanly.  The theif shrieked as his hand fell back to the table, with the potion still gripped by it. Blood ran down the table and began dripping on the floor.

Everyone was silent.  Nobody moved as they watched the spear continue it's arc and then again come to rest on Sundome's knees.  The boy glanced between Sundome and the man who had grabbed the potion. The man was still shrieking and it was the only noise that filled the tavern.  Pain in Apocalypse Earth was real, although it was only experienced in a dream state.

The man stumbled backwards and howled as he left the building.

Finally everyone seemed to breathe.  No one now had any thoughts of stealing from the man called Sundome.  His aura alone was grisly.  And his reactions were twice as fast as any of theirs.

A few minutes later the negotiations continued..

Eventually all the items sold and the boy had a proud look.

As the crowd dispersed, the boy sat down at a chair as Sundome pocketed the silvers. He now had 22 silvers and some change.  He gave the boy his 10 bronze coins.  For the boy, this was equal to a full months wage.

"How did you know about the magical gems?" Sundome asked him.

"I'm a fan of the Heroes of Narlath! Almost everyone is. Of course we know about this stuff." The boy said.

"Who are the Heroes of Narlath?"

"The last Hero Torin left for Illiad not 2 years ago. If all goes well, he'll return with the sword of Thalmun soon!"

"Illiad is?"

"To the west! One of the 7 kingdoms." The boy responded.

"Are all the 7 kingdoms to the west?"

"All except Narlath, we are to the east."

"What is beyond Narlath to the east?"

"I do not know. There are tales of a desert and a sea, but no one has ever crossed it."

Sundome pondered these things. He now knew that Narlath and Illiad were part of the Seven Kingdoms, along with Chillany, where the Adventurer Solarn who found the North King's Mask was from.  Still he had a lot of questions, but at this point the answers wouldn't help him with his current predicament, nor the Were Demon Quest, nor finding Kirsten if she was here already.

Thirty minutes later, he met Wellington back in their own tavern, and the two discussed their findings. Wellington admired the spear, although he didn't know it's full power. 

"So you got this Sky.. Beholds... Spear without needing to borrow money. Do you still owe money on it?" Wellington was perceptive.

"Mmm.  I may need to borrow money yet." Came the reply.

"Hah... I'll want the 60/40."

"If anything it will be 75/25."

The two went on for a bit like that.

"I've joined the Narlath Apprentice Alchemist Guild here in Yorkshire. I will have to work for the Guild to pay off my apprentice fees." Wellington said.

"Oh? What's the difference between an Alchemist and a Spellcaster?" Sundome asked. He was a little hazy on the two although he knew one used herbs, and the other used magical gems.

"It's pretty simple... Alchemists make potions and medicines, whereas Spellcasters create magical shields and they can conjure as well."

"Oh? I haven't come across any shields yet."

"That you know of!" Wellington said. "The entire city is covered by a Spellcaster's shield. It's invisible except to Spellcasters. This particular shield keeps most of the Demon Beasts away!"

"Then the Were Demon Beast?"

"I heard from a fellow Alchemist that the beast probably swallowed a special magical gem.  It has been terrorizing the city at night."

The two continued to talk about the Were Demon, until finally Sundome brought up the Faluor Bandits. He also produced the herbal leaves which he had acquired and presented them to Wellington.

Wellington accepted them gracefully.  Although he didn't know all of their names, he would take them to the Narlath Alchemist Apprentice Guild to gain some wisdom. He already had contacts and he was sure he could grow as an Alchemist there.

That night there were indeed screams from a quarter of the giant city. The Were Demon had struck and players flocked to that quarter, some to hunt it, and others to watch. Among those watching were Simshi and Lief, the bandit leader and his accomplice.  The Were Demon was extremely fast and easily evaded the players.  It was only when there were over 500 players that the Were Demon left.

"He didn't come."

"Mmm.. He's cautious as well." Simshi answered.  

Neither of them attempted to attack the Were Demon that night.